January 23, 2019 - Pittsburgh City Paper

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JAN. 23-30, 2019

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Pittsburgh musician

NICK BARILLA has his Moments

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 23-30, 2019

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JAN. 23-30, 2019 VOLUME 28 + ISSUE 4 Editor-In-Chief LISA CUNNINGHAM Associate Publisher JUSTIN MATASE Director of Operations KEVIN SHEPHERD Managing Editor ALEX GORDON Senior Writers RYAN DETO, AMANDA WALTZ Staff Writers HANNAH LYNN, JORDAN SNOWDEN Photographer/Videographer JARED WICKERHAM Digital Media Manager JOSH OSWALD Editorial Designer ABBIE ADAMS Graphic Designers MAYA PUSKARIC, JEFF SCHRECKENGOST Marketing and Promotions Coordinator CONNOR MARSHMAN Senior Sales Representative BLAKE LEWIS Sales Representatives KAITLIN OLIVER, NICK PAGANO Office Coordinator MAGGIE WEAVER Advertising Sales Assistant TAYLOR PASQUARELLI Circulation Manager JEFF ENGBARTH Featured Contributors REGE BEHE, GAB BONESSO, LISSA BRENNAN, LYNN CULLEN, TERENEH IDIA, CRAIG MRUSEK, CHARLES ROSENBLUM, JESSIE SAGE, STEVE SUCATO Interns JANINE FAUST, XIOLA JENSEN Office Administrator RODNEY REGAN National Advertising Representative VMG ADVERTISING 1.888.278.9866 OR 1.212.475.2529 Publisher EAGLE MEDIA CORP.

FIRSTSHOT

BY JARED WICKERHAM

The Pittsburgh Women’s March, “Building Bridges Stronger Than Hate,” on Sat., Jan. 19

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 23-30, 2019

5

THE BIG STORY

PUTTING ON THE BRAKES

BY RYAN DETO // RYANDETO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

CP PHOTOS: JARED WICKERHAM

Uber autonomous vehicles

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A

COUPLE YEARS ago, the

future of autonomous vehicles was looking bright.

The technology was breathlessly hyped with flashy events, inviting news cameras into the autonomous vehicles (AVs) for test rides. Everyday Pittsburghers could take driverless Ubers on certain routes in the city. In some Uber AVs, workers would play the theme music from Star Wars or Indiana Jones to get passengers hyped up.

But now the big players in the AV game, like Uber, and Ford’s Argo AI, are trying to tamp down those expectations.

Uber confirmed to Pittsburgh City Paper that they “realize that this technology will take years to commercialize.” Even if it does happen, Uber envisions “a hybrid network where Uber trips are shared across traditional driver partners and self-driving vehicles.” According to Uber, the company has been consistent on this since starting their AV operations, and “there’s too much to perfect to enable a 100 percent autonomous future, and we really do need the skilled expertise of drivers to handle the more challenging scenarios that are not ideal use cases for AVs.” But Pittsburgh’s tech companies believe AVs still have an important place in the future of mobility, and defend driving them on public roads, citing recent

increased safety measures. Employees believe the future for AVs is still bright, but realize it is a lot farther off than originally marketed.

When a pedestrian was struck and killed by an Uber AV in Tempe, Ariz. last spring, the industry took a hard look at how it should operate in public spaces.

The public shadow driver in the Uber was allegedly watching a video right before the crash, and a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation showed the car’s technology observed the pedestrian, but that the AVs automatic braking was disabled “to reduce the potential for erratic vehicle behavior.”

try those scenarios on private test tracks.

Only after that are Uber AVs put onto public roads, with a driver behind the wheel ready to take over.

“Prior to resuming self-driving operations, we felt it was critically important to share our holistic approach to safety,” says Uber spokesperson Sarah Abboud.

Uber is currently only testing AVs in autonomous mode on a loop of public streets near its office in the Strip District. Seventy scenarios were studied on test tracks before that. Uber employees are also manually driving AVs on select streets in Pittsburgh to gather data. Uber AVs will not be picking up

in the North Hills, recently penned an article in Autonomous Vehicle Engineering magazine. The story outlines DeKort’s belief that AV companies need to adapt a more rigorous simulation process, one mirroring that of the aerospace industry, with a combination of manual movements and complex software.

“They don’t know what simulation can do,” says DeKort, who used to work at aerospace giant Lockheed-Martin. “They thought simulation wasn’t good enough.

There is a reason there has never been a space accident involving software.”

A former Tempe Uber engineer who spoke to CP on the condition of anonymity

“[ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] DOES NOT LEARN FAST.” The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette also reported that a few days before the Tempe crash, an Uber AV in Pittsburgh swerved onto the sidewalk and continued driving without the technology correcting the behavior, according to a whistleblower.

After the crash in Tempe, Uber halted testing for months and was eventually cleared by PennDOT to test again in Pennsylvania in December. Over that time, Uber made significant changes to its testing to operate in safer scenarios. Testing now starts with software simulation.

Once the simulations are completed, AVs

passengers for the time being.

Argo AI is following a similar process and are also currently only testing on public roads in the Strip District. Argo spokesperson Alan Hall says “testing will likely expand over time.”

“Manual takeovers are viewed as a positive,” says Hall. “Argo does not lose any value from a manual takeover because they are able to review the sensor data and run simulations to understand what the self-driving system would have done.”

Michael DeKort, an engineer who lives

says pre-Tempe crash, simulation was not a big part of Uber’s AV testing.

“NTSB said you need to meet these 39 different scenarios, but there are millions of different scenarios that AVs can encounter,” says the former employee.

“Simulation was not a word that I even heard when I was at Uber.”

DeKort has started a company to consult and eventually help implement these complex simulators in AV companies. He believes AV companies need to utilize full-motion simulators if they are going to achieve the millions of different CONTINUES ON PG. 8

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 23-30, 2019

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PUTTING ON THE BRAKES, CONTINUED FROM PG. 7

scenarios they need in simulation, before they hit the test tracks or public roads.

Without that simulation, DeKort says that AVs could be putting people in danger.

“If you want to make these things better than a human, you need to drive something like 500 billion miles, maybe more,” says DeKort. “[Artificial intelligence] does not learn fast.”

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, which permits AV companies to test on public roads in the state, says safety is a shared responsibility between the state, AV companies, and others involved. PennDOT spokesperson Jan Husvar says AV companies must adhere to strict guidelines of the state’s Operational Design Domain.

For example, Uber says that it only completes public shadow driving testing during daylight hours and in agreeable weather conditions. PennDOT says it has followed the recommendations of industry and academic experts in issuing regulations.

AV companies say that they have made the significant changes to put

safety as their top priority. The former Tempe Uber employee says this new focus on safety and data gathering is encouraging. And a current Uber employee at the offices in San Francisco who spoke to CP on the condition of anonymity says that while the new focus on safety is necessary, it means that advancing AVs will be much slower and more methodical.

The SF employee says a more likely estimation for AV implementation is in the 10-15 year range, which he believes is a good thing. But however far off, he believes that future is still possible. And in contrast to most tech companies who see regulation as burdensome, he thinks state and federal legislators should help guide AV companies, ensuring their future is beneficial to the public.

PennDOT agrees.

“It is our hope moving forward to see substantive legislation passed related to automated and connected vehicles at both the state and federal level,” says Husvar. “We stand ready to assist our federal and state partners in helping to craft a path forward.”

•

Follow senior writer Ryan Deto on Twitter @RyanDeto

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JENSORENSEN

.VOICES.

AFTER MARTIN

BY TERENEH IDIA // CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

T

WO DAYS AGO, you may have had

the day off from work. In the past week, your child or a child you know probably recited Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech. Over the past few days, you couldn’t avoid the black and white images of Dr. King on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial at the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

Key words and phrases are committed to memory: “Content of their character” “Hold hands” “Not judged by the color of the skin” “Dream” What the heavily used words and images from the speech do not show is when, arguably the best gospel singer of the all time, Mahalia Jackson, shouted off center-stage, “Tell them about the dream, Martin!” Reportedly they had an early conversation about a dream Dr. King had about what racial unity in the United States would look like.

And in the African oral tradition that extends over many miles and millennia — from the verbal free-styling of the griots of West Africa, to the bluesmen and women of the Americas, the jazz phenoms to the MCs and DJs of hip hop — Martin spit bars of fire.

But it was good, so good, like the hook of a great song, almost too good: “Mmmmpmmmhh ... all the stars are closer. All the stars are closer. All the stars are closer.”

Let’s be honest, we do not know all the words, we only know the chorus, “I have a dream ...”

In terms of the legacy of Martin Luther

King Jr. and the people surrounding him working on civil rights, we are often stuck humming until we hit that note we’ve heard before.

We fail to remember or never knew enough to forget. People like Bayard Rustin, who worked intersectionally as a Black gay man on economic justice and LGBTQIA2+ issues—who was a key architect of the movement. Ella Baker, who was a colleague and critic of Dr. King, who worked on voting rights, economic justice, and human rights issues.

We are stuck on the chorus, but it looks like we can sing the whole song. As long as we move with the big crowd, clap our hands, sway and move our mouths in time, we play the part. “All the stars ...

I have a dream ...”

Many of us go 364 days a year never working to fight about racial injustice and anti-Black racism. But if we post or repost an image or quote of Dr. Martin Luther King, one day a year, we can check the box. We joined the chorus and sang that line we know.

If we dig deeper and look past the MLK hashtags, we can see a roadmap that includes not only holding hands occasionally as allies but getting our hands dirty as accomplices. An ally can give and take support when it’s comfortable for them. Accomplices put skin in the game; we are not going to be on every team, every game, every play. But as we approach 2020, we all need to decide at least one reason for being, beyond ourselves and our own self-interest. Someone we can call upon and call for support, so we can wake up, stop dreaming, and start doing.

Follow featured contributor Tereneh Idia on Twitter @Tereneh152XX

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 23-30, 2019

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.MUSIC.

MUSICAL MOMENTUM

BY JORDAN SNOWDEN // JSNOWDEN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

F

OR NICK BARILLA, City Paper’s Face The

Music: Battle of the Bands 2018 winner, everything in his journey aligned to bring him to where is today. Each moment, unplanned or not, served a purpose in his grand scheme. And he credits it all his faith in God. With his debut release Moments on the horizon, Barilla and CP reflect on the standout events that changed Nick Barilla the person into Nick Barilla the musician.

Moment No. 1: As a student at Taylor Allderdice High School, Barilla and Mac Miller were in the same grade. The late hip-hop star signed with Rostrum Records at 17 and released his K.I.D.S. mixtape in 2010, the same year Barilla and Miller graduated. “[Miller] always pushed me because I knew that he did it from [the place] I grew up in Point Breeze,” says Barilla. “You just kind of wait for your moment too.”

Nick Barilla inside Millvale’s Attic Record Store CP PHOTOS: JARED WICKERHAM

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Moment No. 2: After graduation, Barilla attended California University of Pennsylvania. But school was an adjustment. He went from a popular high school senior to a lonely freshman.

“I didn’t really have many friends in college,” says Barilla. “So I turned to music. I just went to the piano hall like every night for four or five days a week.”

Once he taught himself to play piano at 19, Barilla started to write songs. Soon, he found enough courage to start performing at open mic nights on campus. To further immerse himself in the music community at Cal U, Barilla also started attending concerts and shows. Seeing touring musicians come to the school gave him a tangible goal. That could be him performing on stage.

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The Nick Barilla Band on stage at Hard Rock Cafe during CP’s Battle of the Bands

Moment No. 3: Barilla followed his inspiration and started getting booked at colleges around the country. He was the one on stage now, commanding the room’s attention. In part, it was also a way to give back.

“I always wanted to inspire students,” says Barilla. “Like, what seeing those performances did for me. There have been moments, like when I showed up to my first or second college that I ever played at, there was a moment where I was in the hotel room, I had food, and everything was given to me, and I felt very … like I earned it.”

Moment No. 4: Still touring colleges, Barilla added opening for Howie Day to his resume. Although Day is best known for his 2003 song “Collide,” he maintains a solid fan base that fills venues, which allowed Barilla to perform in front of new faces.

“Last year when I was in Chicago with Howie Day, people gave me this full meal at the venue, and I played in front of all these people,” says Barilla. “Like life for me and my music career have been about those moments, just breathing them in and just feeling them.”

Moment No. 5: Donnie Gearhart, Barilla’s guitarist, told Barilla about the Face The Music: Battle of the Bands competition. Barilla was hesitant; he didn’t believe he could drum up enough support on social media to even be in the

running. During the first round of the contest, CP readers had the opportunity to vote for their favorite acts. There were over 35 bands and artists hoping for the chance to perform in the battle.

“Then social media erupted, and we got into the top five. I was shocked.

There were some of my friends’ bands from Pittsburgh that were in the preliminary voting that didn’t make it to the top five, and these were bands that I’ve been coming up with and respecting for years,” he says. “I felt really honored to be carried there by my fans, friends, and family.”

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Moment No. 6: The Nick Barilla Band was crowned the first-place winner. The grand prize included $2,000 cash, studio time at Red Caiman Studios, 75 band shirts, an opening set at a Drusky Entertainment event, and an ads package valued at $1,500.

Barilla says the money will help finalize his album, Moments. Already released from the album is the single “Faith,” a song about nostalgia.

“I’m blessed,” says Barilla. “Every time I worry, God provides for me. You just stay the course and keep doing your thing, and you just wait for those moments.”

•

Follow staff writer Jordan Snowden on Twitter @snowden_jordan PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 23-30, 2019

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CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

People’s Choice winner Snowdonia at CP’s Face The Music: Battle of the Bands

.MUSIC.

SCHOOL OF ROCK

BY JORDAN SNOWDEN // JSNOWDEN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

A

S MANY COLLEGE graduates know, majors don’t

necessarily correlate to career paths or hobbies outside of school. But the members of Snowdonia, who all attend Pittsburgh CAPA, are making use of their majors beyond the classroom.

Currently juniors in high school, every member of the six-piece band, except one, majors in the instrument they play. Adam Peters plays guitar, Kaden Thompson plucks the bass, Atticus Crowley adds violin, Dinah DeVault is the flutist, and Desmond Rucker pounds the drums. Jake Epstein, who majors in theater, switches between vocals, guitar, and keyboard.

Snowdonia formed in 2016, and the then-fourmember group went by Pittsburgh State of Mind.

At that point, it was just something they did in their free time.

“We changed the name with the knowledge that we would be writing our own music,” says Peters. “We wanted to have imagery behind it. But it took a while to find our sound because there’s a lot of arrangement that has to go into it, which we all sort of help out on.”

The change happened in August of 2017 after a number of lineup changes, and the inclusion of Crowley and DeVault, whose instruments shifted Snowdonia’s sound. The band mixes a basic indie-rock sound with DeVault’s flute and Crowley’s violin, which

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is played through amps and pedals. That approach takes the instrument from classical to electric, catapulting Snowdonia into its own unique realm, a melding of jazz, funk, rock, and pop.

Crowley says that for him, “playing in school and playing in Snowdonia is very different. [All the members but Epstein] play in jazz band, so it’s kind of the same music, but I’m in orchestra ensemble, and I’m on second violin because I’m not as far along on classical violin as I would like to think I am in the Snowdonia violin.”

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Attending a school where they can focus on music is a huge asset, allowing for a perspective to which other musicians may not have access.

“I have a lot of teachers that I really respect,” says Peters. “Especially Paul Thompson [jazz band teacher] and Richard Gibson [guitar instructor]. They really push me to write. A lot of times I’ll write something and think, if I played this for Mr. Thompson or Mr. Gibson, would they be like, ‘This sucks,’ or would they be like, ‘This is good.’ So, it’s a big help in a way.”

One CAPA teacher, Abbie Gross, who also plays saxophone in The Commonheart, has a friend at Opus One Productions, and used her connection to help Snowdonia set up its Jan. 26 show at Mr. Smalls.

Because the members are still in high school, Snowdonia has trouble finding all-ages venues to perform at in Pittsburgh. Many shows require guests to be 21 and over.

Another obstacle is that in exchange for stage time, some venues ask that bands sell a certain number of tickets to the event. Peters says that, even at a 15-ticket cap, they don’t know that many people over 21.

“A lot of times people will email us for shows and stuff,” says Crowley. “Like, ‘Do you want to open for this band, do you want to play this show.’ But if it’s a 21 and over show, we can still play, but there are all these opportunities that we don’t take because we can’t bring any of our friends. And we have no one to sell tickets to. We can sell to our parents, but that’s it.”

A boost came when the group won People’s Choice at the 2018 Battle of the Bands competition. One of the prizes is studio time at Red Caiman Studios, a perk the band plans on using to further hone its sound.

“Recording and mixing us is a whole different beast,” says Peters. “That’s why Battle of the Bands was such a big thing. We kind of need that studio time and professional eye to help guide us.”

•

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 23-30, 2019

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But for all the awkwardness mentioned above, nothing is a bigger deterrent than the gym locker-room. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve belonged to expensive gyms â&#x20AC;&#x201C; $30 per month â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and cheap gyms â&#x20AC;&#x201C; $28.99 per month. And though Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen thousands of different machines that simulate running, nothing changes about the locker-room experience.

My problem is not the shameless old men and their propensity to have 20-minute conversations about Ray Donavan, completely naked, from opposite ends of the locker row, while Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m stuck between the two. Good for them. We should all aspire to be that free of shame. And hats off to the guy who used the hand-held blow dryer to dry those hard-to-reach areas. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just working smart, not hard.

The locker-roomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s utility has been left behind with bowling alleys and roller rinks. Why change what works? Exercise areas have continually progressed since I

started going to gyms. There are classes for all ďŹ tness types and interests and weird gigantic ropes people wiggle and smack off the ground. But nothing has changed in the locker-room.

The standard gym locker is big enough to hold a pair of large boots, which is perfect if all you wear is large boots. There are two sinks for an entire room of dirty people. The urinals are four inches apart with no privacy barriers. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one bench available, which is used by three guys who put their shoes on it.

If those features arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t manly enough to skyrocket your â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Tâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re also going to get hit by a stimulating combination of SportsCenter and the worst playlist known to humankind. Half of the songs blasted through the speakers are unidentiďŹ able and sound like they were written and recorded by prisoners who split their time between forging license plates and dabbling in nu-metal. The ďŹ rst time I heard Imagine Dragonsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thunder,â&#x20AC;? I was in a locker-room. I had a hard time believing it was a real song. Sometimes youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll get something like â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ramblinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Man,â&#x20AC;? which is at least quiet. But that will be followed by a commercial featuring lasers and a man screaming at you about the boner pills youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to need. If everything falls into place, and you get a moment of silence, some guy who carries around a weightlifting journal is going to start yelling to his gym buddy about whatever those guys talk about.

Much of the reason I go to the gym is for mental clarity. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great to ďŹ nish a workout, sit in silence, and enjoy just being. But no gym Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever been to has offered that most subtle of luxuries.

Not everything at the gym needs to be intense.

â&#x20AC;˘

Follow digital media manager Josh Oswald on Twitter @gentlemenRich

.FOOD REVIEW.

LEOGRETA

BY MAGGIE WEAVER MWEAVER@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

I

WAS speechless leaving LeoGreta.

Finding words to describe the simple and delicious dishes seemed impossible. It was a soul-warming, familial experience with no wrong turns. There was no question about it: LeoGreta did everything right.

Open since April, LeoGreta quickly became the new Carnegie hotspot. Named after chef/owner Greg Alauzen’s parents, Leon and Greta, the restaurant pays homage to family. Silhouettes of Leon and Greta embellish walls, appear in framed pictures, and even adorn the menus.

The tiny dining room only seats 38 people and reservations fill up fast, even on weekdays. It feels metropolitan, with narrow walkways and close tables that leave just enough room for staff. Lucky for last-minute diners, LeoGreta is expanding. Alauzen is planning a two-floor restaurant and event space addition next door.

I was welcomed to LeoGreta by a rustic, charming dining room wrapped in exposed brick. It was comforting, similar to my grandmother’s dining room: loud with laughter and full of incredible aroma, with a sprinkling of trinkets.

Family-style dining felt like an obvious choice, and my table ordered a few dishes to share: fennel salad, gnocchi, cavatelli with sausage, the house meat combo, and reggiano risotto.

The fennel salad was the first to arrive. The celery-like vegetable was paired with arugula, grapefruit, and olive oil. It was short and sweet, providing a palate cleanser for the oncoming pasta-palooza.

Main courses followed a plate of crusty bread and olive oil. I started with the house meat combo — sausage, slow roast pork, and a softball-sized house meatball — smothered in red

CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

The housemade cavatelli and sausage, with potato gnocchi and fennel salad

sauce. Clearly, before LeoGreta, I was eating the wrong meatballs.

Next was the risotto, a stark, white plate unique from everything on the table. It was salt-heavy, cutting the acid from dishes heavy with red sauce.

The cavatelli was paired with spicy house sausage, rapini, and pecorino cheese. Together, the pecorino and sausage, which finished with quick-fading heat, balanced the hearty noodles,

LEOGRETA

301 W. Main St., Carnegie.

Tue.- Sun., 11 a.m.- 9 p.m. leogreta.com

resulting in a fresh, light dish.

The gnocchi at LeoGreta was a dazzling sight: a gigantic, blown up version of the normal soft dough dumplings, as if a chef took a tire pump and meticulously inflated each piece. Every bite

FAVORITE FEATURES: Coat Hooks

Bathroom Quotes

House Meatball

LeoGreta satisfies a common issue with one, simple feature: hooks on the walls. Now, instead of constantly leaning over to pick up a coat because it fell off the chair (again!), everyone can eat in peace.

Leon and Greta aren’t limited to the dining room. In the bathroom, a framed picture of Greta reads, “If at first you don’t succeed, fix your ponytail and try again.”

I refuse to let this go. There is a house meatball on the menu for only $4. So, whatever you do, don’t forget. Order the meatball.

melted away, the pillowy pasta bending under the weight of two sauces.

Every dish demonstrated how dining should be: straightforward, no frills, and good enough that I refused to put my fork down.

I satisfied my sweet tooth with a chocolate-praline pot de cremé, partnered with a sugar cookie. It was a rich, velvety dessert that fell somewhere between Nutella and brownie batter.

As I took the last few bites of my meal, I wanted to go back and do it all over again. At the beginning of the night, our server joked, “If you build it, they will come.” Alauzen built what he knew, returning to traditional roots with humble, heartwarming dishes.

And it’s true – LeoGreta was built, and Pittsburgh will come.

•

Follow staff writer Maggie Weaver on Twitter @magweav PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 23-30, 2019

15

DINING OUT

SPONSORED LISTINGS FROM CITY PAPER ’S FINE ADVERTISERS

THIS WEEK’S FEATURED RESTAURANT

THE CAFÉ CARNEGIE 4400 FORBES AVE., OAKLAND 412-622-3225 THECAFECARNEGIE.COM An excellent dining experience from James Beard Semi-Finalist, Sonja Finn featuring a locally-focused menu, full service dining, and espresso and wine bar.

The best gifts are edible.

1910 New Texas Rd. Pittsburgh, PA 15239 724.519.7304 EightyAcresKitchen.com 7 DAYS A WEEK • LUNCH & DINNER

www.taipei-fc.com Taiwanese, Japanese & Chinese Specialties

BAR LOUIE

330 N. SHORE DRIVE, NORTH SIDE (412-500-7530) AND 244 W BRIDGE ST., HOMESTEAD (412-462-6400) / BARLOUIE.COM We’re your neighborhood bar, where you can kick back and be the real you, with the help of an amazing staff, great music, handcrafted martinisand cocktails, local and regional drafts, incredible wines and a huge selection of bar bites, snacks, burgers, flatbreads and sandwiches. Come in after work, before the game, late night at night, or any time you need a quick bite or a night out with friends. Bar Louie. Less obligations.

More libations.

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.

AS! UBBLE TE B & R A B FULL OUR: PM HAPPYRH AY 4-6 ID -F MONDAY

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

1124 Freeport Rd, Fox Chapel

412-781-4131 16

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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-totable 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.

LEON’S CARIBBEAN

823 E WARRINGTON AVE., ALLENTOWN 412-431-5366 / LEONSCARIBBEAN.COM Family owned and operated since December 2014. Here at Leon’s, we take pride in our recipes and quality of dishes. Simple menu with all the traditional dishes! Leon Sr. has been a chef for 30+ years, mastering the taste everyone has grown to love and can only get at Leon’s.

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. It’s not your standard pizza shop; in fact, this isn’t a “pizza shop” at all.

PAD THAI NOODLE

4770 LIBERTY AVE, BLOOMFIELD 412-904-1640 / PADTHAINOODLEPITTSBURGH.COM This new café in Bloomfield features Thai and Burmese specialties. Standards like Pad Thai and Coconut Curry Noodle

are sure to please. But don’t miss out on the Ono Kyowsway featuring egg noodle sautéed with coconut chicken, cilantro and curry sauce.

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.

SUPERIOR MOTORS

1211 BRADDOCK AVE., BRADDOCK 412-271-1022 / SUPERIORMOTORS15104.COM Thoughtfully prepared food, drawing inspiration from Braddock, its people, its history and its perseverance.

The cuisine best represents the eclectic style which has become a trademark of Chef Kevin Sousa. Fine dining in an old Chevy dealership with an eclectic, farm-to-table menu and a community focus.

TOTOPO MEXICAN KITCHEN AND BAR

660 WASHINGTON ROAD, MT. LEBANON 412-668-0773 / TOTOPOMEX.COM Totopo is a vibrant celebration of the culture and cuisine of Mexico, with a focus on the diverse foods served in the country. From Oaxacan tamales enveloped in banana leaves to the savory fish tacos of Baja California, you will experience the authentic flavor and freshness in every bite. We also feature a cocktail menu of tequila-based drinks to pair the perfect margarita with your meal.

CP PHOTO: HANNAH LYNN

A very quiet Bloody Mary

.ON THE ROCKS.

TOMATOES ON A PLANE

Pad Thai Noodle $9 Lunch Special EVERY DAY!

(DINE IN & PICK UP ONLY! DELIVERY & OTHER OFFERS EXCLUDED.)

BY HANNAH LYNN // HLYNN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

I

N 2015, two researchers from Cornell

University conducted a study to see how high noise levels, like those on an airplane, would affect subjects’ taste buds. They found it suppresses sweeter tastes and enhances savory and umami flavor, like tomato juice. The release of the study prompted many clickbait articles boasting that Science Proved Why Bloody Marys Taste Better on Planes.

Pittsburgh’s Sunday Best Bloody Mary festival is on Jan. 27., so I’ve had the cocktail on my mind. I was curious about the study, but it seemed like a waste of money to buy a plane ticket just to drink in the sky. So I did the next best thing: drinking a Bloody Mary while listening to a very loud YouTube video called “ASMR 8-HOUR AIRPLANE FLIGHT.” The first step was making the thing. I bought tomato juice and vodka, but improvised the rest based on what was on hand: Vodka • Tomato juice • Hot sauce Black pepper • Salt • Lime Olive juice/garnish (from jar of garlic-stuffed olives) • A long piece of broccoli (I didn’t want to buy any celery because every time I do, I waste 80 percent of it.)

I WANTED to see what the drink tasted like in complete silence. I unplugged my space heaters. It was cold, but I really wanted to drink my Bloody Mary in silence.

Of course, it tasted good. It would taste good in a ditch. I love each of the Bloody Mary ingredients individually, so naturally, I love them as a soup/drink.

The tomato juice is a little ketchup-like,

but maybe that was my fault for buying Big Win brand tomato juice that says “get juicy!!!” on the label.

I rated this Bloody Mary in complete silence a 7.5/10.

THE NEXT DAY, I made it again. Disap-

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pointingly, all the airplane noise videos on YouTube are white noise ASMR designed to help people fall asleep. My chosen video came complete with takeoff noise, seatbelt sign dinging, and the hushed murmuring. I really wanted loud, terrible airplane sounds.

I listened to the airplane sounds for six minutes until I felt immersed enough to almost taste the dry, stale air. I took a sip.

It was still a Bloody Mary. Still delicious.

But was it more delicious?

I asked my boyfriend, who hates tomatoes but loves ketchup, to try it.

Unsurprisingly, he did not like the taste of the cocktail, either while “ASMR 8-HOUR AIRPLANE FLIGHT” is blasted in his ears, or in complete silence.

“Is the idea that the drink is so bad that if your other senses are dulled, it’ll taste better?” he asked.

I tried the headphones again, fruitlessly trying to recreate a Cornell University study in my apartment. As I listened, a fake sunset appeared out of the fake plane window in the video. Unfortunately, it was a little beautiful.

I chomped on the broccoli. If nothing else, this experiment proved there are many vegetables besides celery that work well in a Bloody Mary.

Airplane-sound Bloody Mary rating: 8/10.

•

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 23-30, 2019

17

PHOTO: REFIK ANADOL

Infinity Room at Wood Street Galleries

.ART PREVIEW.

CRAWL INTO THE NIGHT

BY AMANDA WALTZ // AWALTZ@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

T

HIS YEAR marks the 15th an-

niversary of the Downtown Gallery Crawl, and on Jan. 25, the Cultural District celebrates the occasion with new exhibits, performers, and other offerings from here and abroad.

“The Gallery Crawls have always represented a sharing of community through artistic cultural exchange and immersive events,” states Terri Bell, vice president of Strategic Partnerships and Community Engagement at the Pitts-

burgh Cultural Trust, in a press release.

As part of the festivities, Turkish-born artist Refik Anadol opens his traveling audio/visual installation, Infinity Room, at Wood Street Galleries.

Using contemporary algorithms, light and sound, mirrors, and other methods, the immersive experience transforms a conventional flat cinema projection screen into a three-dimensional, seemingly infinite space. Vice described it as “a room that looks like you’ve just stepped into some kind of

GALLERY CRAWL IN THE CULTURAL DISTRICT

Fri., Jan. 25. 5:30-10 p.m. Various locations. Downtown. Free. trustarts.org

18

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

otherworldly portal or cosmic gateway, as the swirls, curls, and linear forms cause the walls to melt away.”

“I see Infinity Room as a means of escape to a new dimension, an opportunity to be temporarily released from our habitual perceptions and culturally biased assumptions, to enable us, however momentarily, to freshly perceive ourselves and the world around us,” says Anadol.

Premiering in 2015, Infinity Room previously showed at SXSW, the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Exploratorium in San Francisco. In 2017, it was awarded Excellent Communications Design for Audio-

visual Experience by The German Design Award.

Infinity Room. Jan. 25-April 27. 601 Wood St. Downtown. Free. woodstreet galleries.org

TAKE A LOOK +

937 Gallery contemplates the foreseeable and not-so-foreseeable future with its latest sci-fi-inspired group show. The Pittsburgh-based artists in Ten Futures “daydream, fear for, and build their own imagined worlds” through a variety of media, including drawings,

photographs, video, sculptures, garments, short stories, and even a video game. Continues through Feb. 24. 937 Liberty Ave., Downtown. Free. trustarts.org

fordable studio space provided by Radiant Hall in Homewood, Lawrenceville, and the North Side. 805-807 Liberty Ave., Downtown. Free. radianthall.com

+

+

Film and contemporary dance meet at SPACE Gallery for the appropriately titled DanceFilm. Guest curated by Carolina Loyola-Garcia, the exhibition serves as a survey of contemporary dance and addresses themes such as “visibility within borders, social justice, the aging body, love, the body in space, and the creative impulse, among others.” Continues through March 3. 812 Liberty Ave., Downtown. Free. trustarts.org

+

Artist and cultural producer Casey Droege honors the legacy of veteran women artists with Support Group. The 707 Penn Gallery exhibition uses an installation composed of sculptures, drawings, and prints to examine the struggle of building and sustaining and career in the arts. Continues through March 3. 707 Penn Ave., Downtown. Free. trustarts.org

+

August Wilson Center presents Familiar Boundaries. Infinite Possibilities., a group exhibition of contempo-

PHOTO: SETH CULP-RESSLER

Ten Futures at 937 Gallery

CRAWL AFTER DARK

10-12 p.m. 812 Liberty Ave., Downtown.

Free. trustarts.org

rary works that “draw from themes that question society’s obsession with tradition, policing, consumption, and indulgence.” The featured regional, national, and international artists strive to create

spaces of joy, safety, healing, and care for humanity and the environment. Continues through March 24. 980 Liberty Ave., Downtown. Free. aacc-awc.org

+

Radiant Hall Studio Artists in Lawrenceville presents a Pittsburgh-flavored group show at Trust Arts Education Center. The special exhibition showcases work by 70 local artists who utilize af-

Trust Arts Education Center will also present a schedule of programming for all ages. From 6-8 p.m., see talented Allegheny County students perform excerpts from their upcoming musical productions during the High School Musical Showcase. Then, marvel at various works from Pittsburgh CAPA visual arts students, including a selection of black light pieces, a glowing, tag-able graffiti wall, and a star orb chandelier.

805-807 Liberty Ave., Downtown. Free. trustarts.org

+

The fun doesn’t stop as SPACE Gallery hosts a Silent Disco dance party for Crawl After Dark. Featuring DJ Big Phill, DJ Femi, and DJ Holly Hood, the event enables guests to choose dance partners and music with the help of lighted headsets. Look for the blue, red, or green lights that correspond with each DJ to spot your fellow party goers. 1012 p.m. 812 Liberty Ave., Downtown. Free. trustarts.org

•

Follow senior writer Amanda Waltz on Twitter @awaltzcp

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 23-30, 2019

19

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PGHCITYPAPER.COM

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 23-30, 2019

21

CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

.THEATER.

Leah Blackwood inside City Theatre’s paint shop

BACKSTAGE

BY LISSA BRENNAN // CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

WHO: Leah Blackwood, Greenfield TITLE: Scenic Artist WHERE: Seasonal full-time at City Theatre; additional freelance RECENT WORK: The Revolutionists and Pipeline, City Theatre; Grey Gardens, Front Porch Theatricals; Rules of Seconds and HIR, barebones productions WHAT DO YOU DO? I take drawings from the designer and make them into scenery.

Carpenters build pieces — walls, floorboards, doors, furnishings. Then I use paint and other materials to make them look like something other than what they are.

HOW DO YOU DO THAT? I do a lot research, and I pay a lot of attention. If there’s a scene set in a garden, I look up what kind of plants would grow in the location and season where it takes place. If there’s gravel on the ground or a sidewalk or a street, I’ll go outside and find that somewhere and

22

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

look at how it’s put together — the distress level, where there are stains. How is it affected by the life on it?

WHAT GOT YOU INTERESTED IN THIS? As a teen, I worked at a maritime museum, building sets and stripping decks of boats, and helping my father who was a carpenter haul boards around and lug shingles up on roofs. Then I went to school for graphic arts and had a teacher show a slideshow working on a film set. I thought, “That’s what I can do. That’s where I can see myself.” Not because it’s “Oh, working on a movie, that’s so fun!” But because it was active work, more physical than graphic arts where you’re sitting and doing clean little things on a board.

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN THEATER? When I got out of school, this teacher was working at the Pittsburgh Public Theater and I asked her if there was any work. She said, “Come on over.”

DID YOU STUDY FURTHER? At the Public at that time, there wasn’t one person in charge of painting, they would rotate three or four people. If you ask four different painters how to do something, you get four different answers. I was able to learn the business from a lot of points of view.

HOW FAR IN ADVANCE DO YOU BEGIN A PRODUCTION? Typical time is about three weeks.

WHAT DOESN’T THE AUDIENCE KNOW? How much work goes into it. We don’t open up a catalog and order something, we create it. They walk in and see a house or kitchen and a floor that looks like it’s tiles that were laid down, but those tiles were hand painted, one by one.

IS THERE A STORY BEHIND THE ENVIRONMENTS THAT YOU CREATE? Absolutely.

Otherwise everything would look new, and if it looked new, it wouldn’t look real.

I put a lot of thought into elements like, where a floor would be worn down or dirty from walking, walls duller by light switches from hands touching them, if people are living marginally, where would water drip or paint peel. In the backstory, everything that would have happened comes into my mind.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PART? When you really get down toward the end of it and most of it is done. It’s always really busy onstage, all the carpenters are there and everybody’s hustling around, the lighting is being set, and there’s sound people writing cues and everyone is busy doing things. When all those people finally go away and I’m alone doing the finishing touches, the tiny details. That’s my favorite element to be in. Everyone is gone and I’m in this quiet space, I can turn on some music, and concentrate on those small human parts that give it life. That’s the most rewarding.

•

.DANCE.

LAST DANCE

BY STEVE SUCATO CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

A

WARENESS OF the dearth of female choreographers in dance (especially ballet) has become more widespread in recent years. Dance companies and presenters have lined up to showcase programming exhibiting more inclusion on that front and celebrating female dance makers.

For veteran choreographer Jessica Lang, this current climate of female empowerment represents a bit of a double-edged sword. Lang says that in her eyes, the lack of opportunities for female choreographers has been a problem for a long time, but the sudden rush by dance organizations to create all-female choreographer programs has in some ways exploited the issue.

“It is slightly insulting to the female choreographers that have been working all along,” says Lang. And while she is all for the wider recognition of the issue, she says “If you like my work, I hope you select it because the work is good and not because I am a woman.”

Now that storied career — from Julliard to performing with Twyla Tharp’s company THARP! to forming her own company, Jessica Lang Dance, in 2011 — is shifting focus. Lang’s company performance at Byham Theater on Jan. 26 as part of the Dance Council season will be its last in Pittsburgh (the company officially closes on April 30). Lang has opted for a change in her career, giving up running her full-time dance company to explore other opportunities that focus solely on the creative process.

“It was just time,” says Lang. “We have been a strong and positive organization for seven years, and I am proud of what

PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER JONES

Jessica Lang Dance in “Glow”

JESSICA LANG DANCE

8 p.m., Sat., Jan. 26, Byham Theater, 101 Sixth St., Downtown, $10-65.

412-456-6666 or trustarts.org

we have achieved. Much like a successful television show that winds itself down, its ending might disappoint fans, but the show exits in a way that is satisfying.”

Lang says what she will miss most about the company is the relationships she has formed with her danc-

ers over the years. Local audiences will get to experience that bond the company has one last time in a repertory program of some of the Bessie Awardwinning choreographer’s most popular dance works.

The company will perform “Lyric Pieces” (2012), a 22-minute work for eight dancers to music by Edvard Grieg and will feature unique accordion-like set pieces; “Glow” (2017), a ten-minute piece for five dancers to music by Owen Clayton Condon and Ivan Trevino; and 2006’s

solo “The Calling” (excerpt from Splendid Isolation II). “The Calling” is perhaps Lang’s most recognizable work because of the stunning oversized white gown the performer wears.

Also on the program will be “Aria I” (2013), a six-minute trio danced to music

by George Frideric Handel; “Solo Bach” (2008), a three-minute virtuosic male solo to music by Johann Sebastian Bach; and 2018’s “This Thing Called Love,” a 22-minute celebratory romp for nine dancers to the music of Tony Bennett.

•

Follow featured contributing writer Steve Sucato on Twitter @ssucato

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 23-30, 2019

23

.STREAMING.

THE GOTTI WE DESERVE

BY ALEX GORDON ALEXGORDON@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

PHOTO: BRIAN DOUGLAS

John Travolta in Gotti

Gotti had a rough year. Since its release in June 2018, the mafia biopic about John Gotti, starring John Travolta, secured a rare zero-percent critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, racked up six Razzie nominations, and inspired breathless takedowns from gleeful critics everywhere. The film’s marketing squad hit back against those critics (just like Gotti GOTTI would have wanted) with a social-media IS NOW campaign meant to STREAMING snuff out the elitists ON HULU. and celebrate the film’s 49 percent audience-rating.

“Audiences loved Gotti... critics put out the hit,” the film’s account tweeted.

“Who would you trust more? Yourself or a troll behind a keyboard?”

Well?

I have seen Gotti twice — probably the only person besides the editors who can make such a claim — and I can say that it lives up to the hype.

While at times joyless and tedious, most of the misfires are simply a blast to watch. There are silly accents.

The soundtrack has both Deep Purple and Pitbull. There are two fourth-wall breaking scenes in which Travolta stands next to a river and yells at the audience. It’s directed by Kevin Connolly, one of the entourage members in Entourage.

The whole thing has a tapedtogether vibe, the result of too many cooks with too many different tastes in a poorly designed kitchen. They’ve delivered a dish that’s somehow burnt and cold, bland and over-spiced. And while it’s unfortunate that it tastes bad, it’s hard not to respect and marvel at the sheer volume and diversity of the errors. It’s almost worth it.

Don’t let the trolls win. Watch Gotti. •

24

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

PHOTO: NICK WALL/SONY PICTURES CLASSICS

Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly as Laurel and Hardy

.SCREEN.

MILD RIDE

BY HANNAH LYNN // HLYNN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

N

ORMALLY WHEN people say “times used to be so simple,” they’re full of crap. Life has always been complicated. Comedy, though, really used to be so simple. In the earliest era of modern theater and film, an uproarious joke consisted of a man with a big head wearing a small hat, or a guy walking through the wrong door.

Comedy duo Laurel and Hardy were masters of this era of comedy, honored in Stan & Ollie, a biopic directed by Jon S. Baird.

In the mid-1930s, comedy duo Stan Laurel (Steve Coogan) and Ollie Hardy (John C. Reilly) are at the peak of their careers. But by the 1950s, there are plenty of new acts competing for audiences, and the team has to work hard to regain the public’s affection and attention. The two embark on a tour across the U.K. with the hope that their performances impress a producer enough to make a film with them. The tour starts off bumpy, with Laurel and Hardy playing in small venues with small audiences, but it quickly picks up speed. By the time they get to London, the crowd is huge and enthusiastic.

Despite their onstage chemistry, Laurel and Hardy struggle with old tensions that make their off-stage relationship shakier, which is only exasperated by Hardy’s diminishing health.

STAN & OLLIE

DIRECTED BY: Jon S. Baird Opens Fri., Jan. 25 at Regent Square Theater

The duo is supported by their patient wives, Ida (Nina Arianda) and Lucille (Shirley Henderson) who do their best to protect the men from themselves.

Ida drinks Stan’s liquor so he won’t drink it himself. Lucille has to beg Ollie not to perform while he’s recovering from a heart attack. It all has a tone of “wives, amirite?”

Stan & Ollie is a perfectly fine film.

Coogan and Reilly fit their parts and have a comedic chemistry akin to the characters they’re inhabiting. There are a couple laughs and some touching moments. But the experience of watching it is such a mild one that you wonder

why it was made at all.

Moments that strive to be inspirational hardly induce any emotion and the central conflicts aren’t given enough background to make the climactic fight stick. Laurel holds a grudge against Hardy for once making a movie without him, but in reality, the event seemed to barely make a dent. The movie implies that Laurel and Hardy went years without working together, but that is also inaccurate. It’s unclear what source material was used, or if Baird just made the story he wanted to make. It would’ve been a more engrossing movie if the story was just inspired by the comedy duo and took liberties with a more exciting storyline.

Stan & Ollie is a movie made for fans of Laurel and Hardy who want nothing more than to see recreations of the duo’s most famous gags, songs, and dances, which are performed in full several times.

If you are not a fan of their comedy or the slapstick derived from the silent film era, then this movie would be suitable for a plane or in a waiting room.

Follow staff writer Hannah Lynn on Twitter @hanfranny

•

PHOTO INTERN WANTED We are looking for a student photojournalist with an artistic eye.

Editorial work will include shooting for news, music and arts, both in print and online.

Weekend availability is required. Prior student newspaper work and an outgoing personality a plus.

Send a résumé and a link to an online portfolio to photographer Jared Wickerham, jwickerham@pghcitypaper.com.

PHOTO: DAVID BACHMAN PHOTOGRAPHY

Ashley Fabian and Antonia Botti-Lodovico in afterWARds

The internship includes a small weekly stipend.

No calls, please.

.OPERA.

IDOMENEO REIMAGINED

BY ALEX GORDON // ALEXGORDON@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

I

N RECONCEPTUALIZING the 1780 opera Idomeneo for afterWARds - Mozart’s Idomeneo Reimagined at Pittsburgh Opera, director David Paul had two priorities.

First, he had to cut down the original’s four-hour runtime to something more manageable. He started with the scenes and songs he knew he couldn’t live without, then started cutting excess and reorganizing plot points so the whole thing still made sense.

AFTERWARDS - MOZART’S IDOMENEO REIMAGINED Sat., Jan. 26. 8 p.m. Also Jan. 29, Feb. 1, and Feb. 3. CAPA Theater, Ninth St. and Fort Duquesne Blvd., Downtown. $51.25. pittsburghopera.org

Paul’s second goal was to help update the story to make it relevant for today’s audiences. The original Idomeneo is set in Greece during the aftermath of the Trojan War. The story follows the tragic romance between the princess of Troy, Ilia, and the prince of Crete, Idamante, who rescues her from a shipwreck at the opera’s outset. Despite their warring homelands, Idamante and Ilia fall in love, much to the chagrin of basically everyone else on the island. Paul found poignancy in Ilia’s shipwreck and status as a stranger in a foreign land and set about incorporating imagery from the Syrian refugee crisis to illustrate that connection.

“For me, the Syrian refugee crisis, initially in Greece and then the rest of Europe, was a really interesting and

powerful connection to this opera,” says Paul. “I wanted to see if there was a way to focus in on the post-war trauma and the idea of these stranded refugees on this Greek island.”

To help make this connection, Paul uses time-neutral set design and costumes. The outfits are vague enough to look at home in most countries in the early 20th century. The set’s main components are piles of life jackets and a sail, giving the stage an eerie sense of tragedy.

This production, opening at CAPA Theater downtown on Jan. 26, features performers from Pittsburgh Opera’s resident artist program, which provides guidance and training to young opera singers.

This small cast features tenor Terrence Chin-Loy in the title role, soprano Ashley Fabian as Ilia, mezzo-soprano Antonia Botti-Lodovico as Idamante, and soprano Caitlin Gotimer as Elettra. With the relative intimacy of the CAPA Theater and the level of detail in the set and costume design, Paul says it’s an ideal venue for these young performers to get their footing.

Musically, Paul points to Idomeneo’s aria “Fuor Del Mar” as the opera’s most powerful moment. The main line translates roughly to, “there’s a storm outside, but the storm inside me is far stronger.”

Though he thinks of Ilia as an enemy, in this moment Idomeneo’s expression of trauma mirrors that of the young princess.

“We may have survived the war, maybe even won the war,” Paul explains. “But the war inside of you having come through that, it rages on much longer. That piece encapsulates what I’m going for.”

•

Follow managing editor Alex Gordon on Twitter @shmalexgordon PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 23-30, 2019

25

IMAGE: HOOD DESIGN STUDIO

.ARCHITECTURE.

An artist’s rendering of “Curtain Call”

CURTAIN CALL

BY CHARLES ROSENBLUM // CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

H

OW DO YOU get to the Lower Hill?

Go out Sixth Avenue and turn left on Centre? The storied, traditionally African-American neighborhood has long since been replaced by the Civic Arena at the dawn of the 1960s, and now for something for which we are still waiting.

We have a recent hockey arena and a couple of hotels, but the central parcel is all asphalt and infrastructure, still awaiting redevelopment. Getting to what was once a culturally vibrant and densely inhabited neighborhood is more a state of mind than a navigation exercise. You need to engage generously with people who recall what the place was once like, then you need to think creatively.

That’s why “Curtain Call,” the landscape and rain garden, proposed to be built along the west side of PPG Paints Arena, is important. The work of Oakland, Calif., based landscape architect Walter Hood, “Curtain Call” would bring back recollections of the Lower Hill as it was through literal images and more metaphorical experiences. But the project is still awaiting most of the estimated $1.5 million needed for its construction, as it has been since 2009.

That year, the Sports and Exhibition Authority, which was nearing completion of the hockey arena, staged a design competition. Hood won for a designed landscape along the steeply sloping edge the building next to Epiphany Church.

“Like many people who go to the Hill, I was attracted to August Wilson,” Hood explains.

“Curtain Call” plays on the idea of the displaced neighborhood residents coming back “for another round of applause,” he says. A series of four terraces with connecting stairs progresses down the side of the building. Navigated with curving paths, they are planted with native species. For a water-gathering landscape, Hood plans motion-activated speakers that play R&B songs on the topic of rain for a multi-sensory experience. At their outer perimeter, gardens are enclosed by undulating steel structural frames connected with steel tension wires. These become a lattice for translucent acrylic tiles printed with photos, 5,000 in total, conveying the history and experiences of the Lower Hill. These walls are backlit by the setting sun and glow evocatively.

In the world of landscape architecture,

Hood is an acclaimed designer and popular speaker. Though little known in the Hill District before this project, he quickly earned a reputation as “a landscape architect, artist, and rock star,” says Terri Baltimore, Vice President for Community Development at the Hill House. His reputation comes not simply from beautiful-looking projects, though they are, but also from his generous talent for having grassroots engagement. Baltimore says Hood “came in with open arms, a real sense of partnership ... and respect for the community.”

Photos in “Curtain Call” came not from archives, but from a series of neighborhood barbecues at St. Joseph’s House of Hospitality, “the best backyard in the Hill District,” where events took on “a really cool art vibe,” Baltimore recalls.

Hill House team members scanned the images and continued to collect associated stories that reinforced the sense of reconnecting with history.

So why isn’t the project funded yet? Impressed by Hood’s international reputation and methods of community engagement, the Heinz Endowments offered $200,000 of support in 2016, explains Janet Sarbaugh, Vice President

Follow contributing writer Charles Rosenblum on Twitter @CharlzR

26

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

for Creativity. “But it’s contingent on the rest of the funds being raised,” she adds.

Hood notes that his firm is completing an updated cost estimate for this purpose.

Sallyann Kluz, Director of the Office of Public Art notes “there has been a lot of work happening behind the scenes to look for creative sources of funding, but ... they just haven’t hit the mark yet.”

Observers may look on in frustration at the ten-foot-plus bronze statue of Mario Lemieux scoring against two defenders.

Placed on site in 2012, it was funded by a consortium of more than 25 companies affiliated with the arena and the hockey team for an undisclosed cost.

According to the SEA, though, funding is not so easily forthcoming for “Curtain Call.” Says SEA Director Mary Conturo, “we are still trying to raise funds. We don’t have a firm timeline or schedule at this point.”

Kluz noted, “Curtain Call is a promise that was made to the Hill District. It is important to reflect on what it means for the promise to be lingering.”

Realization of this project would be a significant step in bringing the historical identity back to the Lower Hill.

•

TOP 5

BEST-KEPT SECRETS JUST OUTSIDE OF DOWNTOWN PITTSBURGH

BY JEFF SCHRECKENGOST JEFF@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

CP PHOTO: JEFF SCHRECKENGOST

MANCINI’S BAKERY

601 WOODWARD AVE., MCKEES ROCKS My wife grew up on this McKees Rocks-based favorite.

One bite of their hot-from-the-oven twist loaf and I was hooked.

GRANDVIEW PARK

Angwenique Wingfield for BOOM Concepts

.ART.

LIBRARY LOOKS

MCARDLE ROADWAY VIADUCT

BY AMANDA WALTZ // AWALTZ@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

A

NEW exhibition at the CLP-Main

brings Pittsburgh and New York .artists together for a collection of collaborative works.

Organized and produced by VIA, New Archives: Visions & Voices from AWC Lab (opening Jan. 26) features videos, sculptures, manuscripts, and digital artworks described as engaging “collective and personal approaches to storytelling and archival practice, Afrofuturism, sciencefiction, and design-thinking.” It showcases works based on storylines and designs created between the featured artists and over 100 Pittsburgh residents who participated in the August Wilson Center Lab pop-up event.

The show also provides an opportunity to spotlight the many resources offered by public libraries.

Guests can expect to find a wide

array of artwork and interactive activities.

Salome Asega, Ayodamola Tanimowo Okunseinde, Mariama Jalloh, and Mala Kumar of the Iyapo Repository, a resource library created to affirm and project the future of people of African descent, will present imaginative futuristic “artifacts,” such as Reproductive Health Lollipops and a therapeutic, mind-altering Reality Pillow. Working with them are Afronaut(a) filmmakers Alisha Wormsley, Njaimeh Njie, and Christina Springer, who will contribute shorts depicting the worlds and conditions in which the Iyapo artifacts exist.

Bekezela Mguni of the Black Unicorn Library & Archives Project presents an interactive digital sculpture designed

by Iyapo Repository. The workhouses curated custom libraries organized around the categories of Love, Survival,

NEW ARCHIVES: VISIONS & VOICES FROM THE AUGUST WILSON CENTER LAB

Opening reception. Sun., Jan. 27. 12 – 5 p.m. 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland.

Free. carnegielibrary.org

MT. WASHINGTON Everyone goes to the Mt. Washington overlooks to see the Golden Triangle, but try viewing the city from this vantage point.

and Joy, all of which commemorate Black women and LGBTQI figures, “herstories,” and more.

Representing the Pittsburgh creative hub BOOM Concepts are D.S. Kinsel, Anqwenique Wingfield, and Ava Kling.

Their display of sculptures, created from ritual utensils and sacraments, utilizes augmented-reality and performance videos to highlight If I Die I’m a Legend: A Tale of Orisha, Hoodoo and #BlackLivesMatter, a series that explores relationships between history, ownership, place, and ceremony.

Last but not least, the Institute of Plant Motivation shares a collection of local plants able to express themselves through sound, as well as a wearable seed skirt that encourages guests to consider different ways to understand, communicate with, and support botanical life.

New Archives: Visions & Voices from the August Wilson Center Lab continues through March 3. The exhibition is free and open to the public during library hours.

•

SOUTH SIDE Built in 1933, this forgotten but heavily trafficked bridge is one of the best places to take photos of Pittsburgh. The city view merges past and present: Golden Orthodox church dome and ghost signs in the foreground; highways and skyscrapers beyond.

ANTIQUE MALL AT OHIO RIVER 4331 OHIO RIVER BLVD., BELLEVUE Most of our living room was furnished by this store.

You can’t miss it on Ohio River Boulevard — it’s purple!

THE HUDDLE

1648 BROADWAY AVE., BEECHVIEW Old-school NY strip steak, iceberg lettuce salad with Thousand Island dressing, served to you in cozy vinyl booths surrounded by wood paneling.

Nineteen-seventies dining at its finest!

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 23-30, 2019

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THEY MAKE!

BY REGE BEHE CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

N

OVELIST J.D. BARKER was signing

books at a horror convention a few years ago when he noticed the man next to him was Dacre Stoker, the great grand-nephew of Bram Stoker, the author of Dracula.

When Barker was 7 years old, he convinced his mother to buy him a used copy of that classic novel at a yard sale for 25 cents. Barker accumulated four or five copies of Dracula over the years, reading it over and over.

Now he was sitting next to “a living, breathing Stoker,” says the Brentwood resident, who will appear Jan. 25 at City Books in North Side.

Little did Barker know that Dacre Stoker was familiar with his work. “He had already read Forsaken, my first novel, and he had already decided to ask me about this project,” Barker says.

“This project” turned out to be Dracul (Putnam), a prequel to Dracula.

Tapping into Dacre Stoker’s wealth of knowledge about his ancestor and a trove of Bram Stoker’s private documents including journals, notes, and maps, the pair created a story that blurs the lines between fiction and fact.

Barker says Dacre Stoker’s involvement gives the book a rare historical accuracy that would be difficult to replicate. “He knows everything there is possible to know about Bram Stoker and Dracula,” Barker says. “I brought the writing, and he basically did all the research. Because we were both focusing on two different things, it works.”

What’s eerie about Dracul is how the voice of Bram Stoker seems to inhabit the pages. Stylistically, there’s not much different between the text of Dracula and the new book.

Barker has a natural knack for literary mimicry, stemming from Asperger’s syndrome, with which he was diagnosed

PHOTO: BILL PETERSON GALLERIES

J.D. Barker

J.D. BARKER

Sat., Jan. 26. 7 p.m. City Books, 908 Galveston Ave., North Side. 412-321-7323 or citybookspgh.com

when he was in his twenties.

“When I was younger it was a big problem,” he says. “But when I was older, I realized it offered a lot of benefits. It allows me to mimic the voice of other authors. So for this particular book, I read everything that Bram wrote, published or unpublished, and listened to Dracula the audio book on constant repeat. I drilled his voice and cadence in my head, to the point where when I go through the book there are paragraphs he actually wrote that we lifted from his notes that I can’t tell the difference.”

When Dracula was submitted to its publisher in the United Kingdom in 1897, Bram Stoker included a preface that stated “the events here really took place.” But because London was reeling from the Jack the Ripper murders,

Follow featured contributor Rege Behe on Twitter @RegeBehe_exPTR

that passage was excised from the original manuscript, along with the first 102 pages of text.

But Stoker found a workaround to that problem. He mailed the original manuscript to publishers in counties such as Iceland and Sweden, where the novel was printed with the original text.

“What Dacre discovered is that if you go back to a first edition of Dracula and translate that into English,” Barker says, “you find bread crumbs that Bram left behind of the original story, those first 102 pages that got stripped out.”

•

BETWEEN THE LINES Cristina Garcia, a playwright and author of novels including Dreaming in Cuban and Here in Berlin, will appear as a guest of the Pittsburgh Contemporary Writers Series on Jan. 31 at 7:30 p.m. The free event takes place at the Frick Fine Arts Building, University of Pittsburgh campus, Oakland. Details at pghwriterseries.pitt.edu Garcia also will appear Feb. 1 at Alphabet City, City of Asylum, North Side, for Beyond Borders: An Evening of Immigrant Fiction, with Crystal Hana Kim, Naima Coster, Wayetu Moore, and Shobha Rao. The 5:30 p.m. event is free, but RSVPs are requested. Details at alphabetcity.org

.FOR THE WEEK OF JAN. 24.

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): About 11 percent of the Philippines’ population is comprised of Muslims who call themselves the Bangsamoro. Many resist being part of the Philippines and want their own sovereign nation. They have a lot of experience struggling for independence, as they’ve spent 400 years rebelling against occupation by foreign powers, including Spain, the United States, and Japan. I admire their tenacity in seeking total freedom to be themselves and rule themselves. May they inspire your efforts to do the same on a personal level in the coming year.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): We might initially be inclined to ridicule Stuart Kettell, a British man who spent four days pushing a Brussels sprout up 3,560-foot-high Mount Snowden with his nose. But perhaps our opinion would become more expansive once we knew that he engaged in this stunt to raise money for a charity that supports people with cancer. In any case, the coming weeks would be a favorable time for you, too, to engage in extravagant, extreme, or even outlandish behavior in behalf of a good or holy cause.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The Taurus guitar wizard known as Buckethead is surely among the most imaginative and prolific musicians who has ever lived. Since producing his first album in late 2005, he has released 306 other albums that span a wide variety of musical genres — an average of 23 per year. I propose that we make him your patron saint for the next six weeks. While it’s unlikely you can achieve such a gaudy level of creative self-expression, you could very well exceed your previous personal best in your own sphere.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Novelist Arthur Conan Doyle created Sherlock Holmes, a fictional character who personifies the power of logic and rational thinking. And yet Doyle was also a devout spiritualist who pursued interests in telepathy, the occult, and psychic phenomena. It’s no surprise that he was a Gemini, an astrological tribe renowned for its ability to embody apparent opposites.

Sometimes that quality is a liability for you folks, and sometimes an asset. In the coming weeks, I believe it’ll be a highly useful skill.

When animals hibernate, their metabolism slows down. They may grow more underfur or feathers, and add some extra fat. To conserve heat, they may huddle together with each other.

In the coming weeks, I don’t think you’ll have to do what they do. But I do suspect it will be a good time to engage in behaviors that have a resemblance to hibernation: slowing down your mind and body; thinking deep thoughts and feeling deep feelings; seeking extra hugs and cuddles; getting lots of rich, warm, satisfying food and sleep. What else might appeal to your need to drop out of your fast-paced rhythm and supercharge your psychic batteries?

(Jan. 20-Feb. 18): AQUARIUS A motivational speaker and author named Nick Vujicic was born without arms or legs, although he has two small, unusually shaped feet.

These facts didn’t stop him from getting married, raising a family of four children, and writing eight books. One book is entitled Life Without Limits: Inspiration for a Ridiculously Good Life. He’s a positive guy who has faith in the possibility of miracles. In fact, he says he keeps a pair of shoes in his closet just in case God decides to bless him with a marvelous surprise. In accordance with current astrological omens, Aquarius, I suggest you make a similar gesture. Create or acquire a symbol of an amazing transformation you would love to attract into your life.

Your knack for holding paradoxical views and expressing seemingly contradictory powers will attract and generate good fortune.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): In 2006, a 176-year-old tortoise named Harriet died in an Australian zoo owned by “Crocodile Hunter” and TV personality Steve Irwin. Harriet was far from her original home in the Galapagos Islands. By some accounts, evolutionary superstar Charles Darwin picked her up and carried her away during his visit there in 1835. I propose that you choose the long-lived tortoise as your power creature for the coming weeks. With her as inspiration, meditate on questions like these: 1. “What would I do differently if I knew I’d live to a very old age?” 2. “What influence that was important to me when I was young do I want to be important to me when I’m old?” 3. “In what specific ways can my future benefit from my past?” 4. “Is there a blessing or gift from an ancestor I have not yet claimed?” 5. “Is there anything I can do that I am not yet doing to remain in good health into my old age?”

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): John Lennon claimed that he generated the Beatles song “Because” by rendering Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” backwards. Even if that’s true, I don’t think it detracts from the beauty of “Because.” May I suggest you adopt a comparable strategy for your own use in the coming

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):

weeks, Leo? What could you do in reverse so as to create an interesting novelty? What approach might you invert in order to instigate fresh ways of doing things? Is there an idea you could turn upside-down or inside-out, thereby awakening yourself to a new perspective?

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The Tsonga language is spoken by more than 15 million people in southern Africa. The literal meaning of the Tsonga phrase I malebvu ya nghala is “It’s a lion’s beard,” and its meaning is “something that’s not as scary as it looks.”

According to my astrological analysis, this will be a useful concept for you to be alert for in the coming weeks. Don’t necessarily trust first impressions or initial apprehensions. Be open to probing deeper than your instincts might influence you to do.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): The old Latin verb crescere meant “to come forth, spring up, grow, thrive, swell, increase in numbers or strength.” We see its presence in the modern English, French, and Italian word “crescendo.” In accordance with astrological omens, I have selected crescere and its present participle crescentum to be your words of power for the next four weeks. May they help mobilize you to seize all emerging opportunities to come forth, spring up, grow, thrive, swell, and increase in numbers or strength.

When people tell me they don’t have time to read the books I’ve written, I advise them to place the books under their pillows and soak up my words in their dreams. I don’t suggest that they actually eat the pages, although there is historical precedent for that. The Bible describes the prophet Ezekiel as literally chewing and swallowing a book. And there are accounts of 16th-century Austrian soldiers devouring books they acquired during their conquests, hoping to absorb the contents of the texts. But in accordance with current astrological omens, I suggest that in the next four weeks you acquire the wisdom stored in books by actually reading them or listening to them on audio recordings. In my astrological opinion, you really do need, for the sake of your psychospiritual health, to absorb writing that requires extended concentration.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Among the top “how to” search inquiries on Google are “how to buy Bitcoin,” “how to lose belly fat fast,” “how to cook spaghetti in a microwave,” and “how to make slime.” While I do think that the coming weeks will be prime time for you to formulate and launch many “how to” investigations, I will encourage you to put more important questions at the top of your priority list. “How to get richer quicker” would be a good one, as would “how to follow through on good beginnings” and “how to enhance your value” and “how to identify what resources and allies will be most important in 2019.”

GO TO REALASTROLOGY.COM TO CHECK OUT ROB BREZSNY’S EXPANDED WEEKLY AUDIO HOROSCOPES AND DAILY TEXT-MESSAGE HOROSCOPES. THE AUDIO HOROSCOPES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE BY PHONE AT 1-877-873-4888 OR 1-900-950-7700

Pittsburgh’s lone liberal talkshow host for 30+ years Listen live every weekday at 10 a.m. at lynncullen.pghcitypaper.com PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 23-30, 2019

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YOU ARE ALWAYS ONE DECISION AWAY FROM A DIFFERNT LIFE. PHOTO: JOEL MAISONET

Brian Quijada in Where Did We Sit on the Bus?

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BY HANNAH LYNN // HLYNN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM MERICAN HISTORY classes are

notorious for excluding entire groups of people without even noticing the problem. For playwright and actor Brian Quijada, this proved to be a gift in disguise. While learning about the civil rights movement in elementary school, Quijada asked the teacher where Latinos—his people—would have sat on a segregated bus. She answered, “They weren’t around.” Even as a kid, Quijada was dissatisfied by the answer. It led to a lifetime of questions, culminating in Where Did We Sit on the Bus?, a one-man show he wrote and stars in, which runs at City Theatre Jan.19-Feb. 24.

“That was the very first time that I had an identity crisis, I guess, as a Latino boy,” says Quijada. “It led me to go home and ask a bunch more questions about where we came from, who we were, who I was.”

Described as a “hip-hop autobiography,” the show, directed by Chay Yew, explores family, art, and identity through music. Quijada plays the ukulele, harmonica, a hybrid keyboard/drum machine, and an iPad used for live looping. He describes the show as part storytelling, part stand-up, and part personal reflection.

For Quijada, whose parents emigrated from El Salvador before he was born, becoming an artist was almost unheard of, and the play grapples with what it means for him even to be performing it.

“I’m the first artist that my parents have ever met, me and my brother,” says Quijada, whose brother is also an actor.

“It’s kind of an explanation of what it

means to be a storyteller trying to make a professional living doing what no one in our family history has ever done before.”

Quijada wrote parts of the play throughout his life—poems, letters, journal entries—without even realizing it.

“In the play, I go through my entire life, I shout out the age that I am,” says Quijada.

“It’s really cool that there are parts of this play that are actually my voice at 16.”

WHERE DID WE SIT ON THE BUS?

Jan. 19-Feb. 24. 1300 Bingham St., South Side. $29-61. citytheatrecompany.org

Although the story Quijada tells in Where Did We Sit is not overtly political, any piece of art right now that deals with immigration is set against the backdrop of a national conflict over the topic, which has resulted in detention centers, protests, and the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history. Quijada is aware of this in every aspect of making and performing his play.

“I went through security to get here from New York and got my luggage secured by a TSA [agent] that isn’t receiving a paycheck because of a debate regarding a border wall,” he says. “I feel very lucky that I’m going on stage every night and talking about my family coming to the United States, being undocumented immigrants, to make me, to have me have this life on stage telling their story.”

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WED., FEBRUARY 6 JARET REDDICK 7:30 P.M. CRAFTHOUSE SOUTH HILLS. $20-22. 412-653-2695 or ticketfly.com.

WED., FEBRUARY 6 LIBERTY MAGIC: ERIC JONES 7:30 P.M. LIBERTY AVENUE DOWNTOWN. $40-65. 412-456-6666 or trustarts.org.

WED., FEBRUARY 6 SPACE JESUS 8 P.M. REX THEATER SOUTH SIDE. Over-18 event. $25. 412-381-1681 or greyareaprod.com. With special guests Minnesota & Huxley Anne.

THU., FEBRUARY 7 TETRARCH 6:30 P.M. SMILING MOOSE SOUTH SIDE. All-ages event. $10-12. 412-431-4668 or ticketfly.com. With special guests Chronicles Of June & At The End Of Me.

THU., FEBRUARY 7 PILATES AND YOGA FITNESS 6:30 P.M. ROUND HILL PARK VISITORS CENTER ROUND HILL PARK. $15-30.

412-350-4636 or alleghenycounty.us/ parkprograms.

FRI., FEBRUARY 8 SOUNDS OF CHINA 7:30 P.M. BYHAM THEATER DOWNTOWN. $25-30.

412-456-6666 or trustarts.org.

FRI., FEBRUARY 8 THE LACS 8 P.M. JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE WARRENDALE. $23-40.

724-799-8333 or ticketfly.com.

SAT., FEBRUARY 9 4TH AVE 3 P.M. SMILING MOOSE SOUTH SIDE. All-ages event. $5-12. 412-431-4668 or ticketfly.com.

With special guests Rayla & Aja9.

SAT., FEBRUARY 9 AMERICAN GIRL LIVE 3 P.M. BYHAM THEATER DOWNTOWN. $40.25-50.25.

412-456-6666 or trustarts.org.

SUN., FEBRUARY 10 PATTI STANGER CARNEGIE OF HOMESTEAD MUSIC HALL MUNHALL

SAT., FEBRUARY 9 LIVINGSTON TAYLOR

DOWNTOWN. $60-70. 412-456-6666 or trustarts.org.

8 P.M. THE OAKS THEATER OAKMONT. All-ages event. $24.75-49.75.

412-828-6322 or ticketfly.com.

TUE., FEBRUARY 12 THEATER ARTS WORSHOP FOR HIGH SCHOOL GROUPS

SUN., FEBRUARY 10 L.L. BEAN DOG DAY HIKE 1 P.M. NORTH PARK PIE TRAYNOR FIELD NORTH PARK. Over-8 event.

Free (registration required).

412-350-4636 or llbean.com/pittsburgh.

SUN., FEBRUARY 10 PATTI STANGER 8 P.M. CARNEGIE OF HOMESTEAD MUSIC HALL MUNHALL. All-ages event. $39-125.

412-462-3444 or ticketfly.com.

MON., FEBRUARY 11 KEVIN HOWARD BAND 5 P.M. BACKSTAGE BAR AT THEATER SQUARE DOWNTOWN. Free event.

412-456-6666 or trustarts.org.

MON., FEBRUARY 11 THE COOPER FAMILY 7 P.M. GREER CABARET THEATER

9 A.M. BYHAM THEATER DOWNTOWN. $100 (per class). 412-456-6666 or trustarts.org.

TUE., FEBRUARY 12 TESLA 7:30 P.M. THE PALACE THEATRE GREENSBURG. All-ages event. $44.50-70.50.

724-836-8000 or thepalacetheatre.org.

With special guests The Cringe & Year of the Locust.

TUE., FEBRUARY 12 SMASH MOUTH’S STEVE HARWELL 8 P.M. JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE WARRENDALE. $26-39. 724-799-8333 or ticketfly.com. With special guest The Fell.

TUE., FEBRUARY 12 SARAH BRIGHTMAN 8 P.M. BENEDUM CENTER DOWNTOWN. $49.50-885. 412-456-6666 or trustarts.org.

FOR UPCOMING ALLEGHENY COUNTY PARKS EVENTS, LOG ONTO WWW.ALLEGHENYPARKS.COM PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 23-30, 2019

31

CALENDAR JANUARY 24-30

PHOTO: REBECCA ARONOW/JODI BOSIN

^ Thu., Jan. 24: Ellen Siberian Tiger

THURSDAY JAN. 24 READING

The Center for African-American Poetry and Poetics hosts a reading and Q&A with Ricky Laurentiis and Terrance Hayes at Pitt’s Heinz Memorial Chapel.

A celebrated poet, Hayes recently published American Sonnets for My Past And Future Assassin and To Float in the Space Between: A Life and Work in Conversation with the Life and work of Etheridge Knight. He’s joined by Laurentiis, whose work Boy with Thorn was selected

by Hayes for the 2014 Cave Canem Poetry

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PGHCITYPAPER.COM

Prize. 7 p.m. 4200 Fifth Ave., Oakland.

Free. heinzchapel.pitt.edu

WORKSHOP

Everyone uses a computer every day, either on their desktop, laptop, smartphone, smartwatch, smartfridge, virtual assistant, or other handy dandy device.

But do you really know how a computer is built or runs? HackPGH hosts a Computer Building Workshop, led by public WiFi provider Meta Mesh. Learn how to assemble a real, working computer.

The workshop will provide all the tools and parts needed. It might seem silly to build a computer when they’re so easily accessible but it’s useful to know how our technology works so when it breaks down,

you can troubleshoot beyond turning it off and back on. 7 p.m. 1936 Fifth Ave., Uptown. $20. hackpgh.org

MUSIC

Catch an intimate show in Lawrenceville when Philadelphia’s Ellen Siberian Tiger joins three excellent Pittsburgh acts at Three Pigs Vintage. The fourpiece, fronted by Ellen Tiberio-Shultz, specializes in combing accessible punk with rigid rhythms that nod to math rock.

“When Men Explain Things To Me” is a good place to start. Kicking things off are Patrick Haley Coyle of Soft Gondola (cerebral, beautifully produced, moody), Rue (lo-fi folk pop), and Empty Beings (heavy post-punk). 8 p.m. Three

Pigs Vintage, 5218 Butler St., Lawrenceville. $7. threepigsvintage.com

FRIDAY JAN. 25 GAMES

According to the internet, gamers are one of the most oppressed groups out there — so it’s good to know a temporary space is being created for them to get together and make some games of their own.

The Global Game Jam, an annual game development challenge held around the world at physical locations, is once again happening in the Steel City this weekend.

CP PHOTO: LISA CUNNINGHAM

^ Sat., Jan. 26: Randyland Benefit

Gamers in the region are invited by the Pittsburgh chapter of the International Game Developers Association to participate in the challenge at the Tepper Quad at Carnegie Mellon University in Oakland. The non-competitive development cycle will bring together those interested in programming, narrative exploration, and more, to create a video game based on a secret theme in only 48 hours. Registered attendees are provided with site access for the entire jam as well as full meals, snacks, and drinks. Online registration is handled on a first-come, firstserve basis. 7 p.m. 5000 Forbes Ave., Oakland. $40. 18 years and older. pigda.org

ARTS

Young people these days have started spending way too much time staring at … works of art? That’s the goal of the Carnegie Art Associates, the Carnegie Museum of Art’s newest membership program for young creatives and professionals in the region. After-hours at the Carnegie Museum of Art, the group hosts its celebratory launch event

with an evening of music, cash bars, tours of the 57th annual Carnegie International, and more. Attendees can also learn more about CAA membership offerings, including networking opportunities, access to special events and involvement in the improvement of the museum.

A portion of ticket sales will go to the CAA Community Fund, providing scholarship opportunities for prospective CAA Members.

7:30-10:30 p.m. 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland. $35 for adults, $30 for CAA members

^ Thu., Jan. 24: Ricky Laurentiis PHOTO: SHIKEITH CATHEY

FILM

“It’s pretty much your high school friend’s basement, but with better beer.” This is how Video Valley IV: Secret VHS Night bills itself, as the event also features hot dogs and cheap beer.

It sounds a lot cooler than my high school friend’s basement, which was more like pretzels and seltzer. The series at Row House Cinema shows an old VHS tape on the big screen, and the movie is kept a surprise until the actual screening. Could it be a campy horror classic? A raunchy comedy?

A Disney movie that got locked in the vault and forgotten about?

Only time in the valley will tell. 10:30 p.m.

4115 Butler St., Lawrenceville. $8-13. rowhousecinema.com

SATURDAY JAN. 26 BENEFIT

When fans of Randyland, the North Side painted house and outdoor sculpture garden, found out that Randy Gilson’s partner and co-founder David “Mac” McDermott was diagnosed with terminal cancer a few years ago, they raised over $20,000 to send the pair on a dream vacation to the Grand Canyon. Sadly, Mac passed away earlier this month and now fans are coming together once again for a Randyland Benefit to raise money to help the future of the much-loved attraction, once voted by Pittsburgh City Paper readers as “Best Public Art.” Classic rock band Three Sides will perform for the benefit show at the Young Men’s Republican Club, along with raffle baskets and complimentary food. 8 p.m.

631 Suismon St., North Side. Facebook search “Randyland Benefit” CONTINUES ON PG. 34

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 23-30, 2019

33

CALENDAR, CONTINUED FROM PG. 33

7 DAYS

OF CONCERTS

BY JORDAN SNOWDEN JSNOWDEN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

PHOTO: CHRIS SIKICH

Grace Vonderkuhn

THURSDAY The Bad Plus 8 p.m. August Wilson Center, Downtown. aacc-awc.org

FRIDAY Chrome Moses, Jakethehawk 8 p.m. Howlers. howlerspittsburgh.com

SATURDAY No Quarter (a tribute to Led Zeppelin’s legacy) 9:30 p.m. Hard Rock Cafe, Station Square. hardrock.com/pittsburgh

SUNDAY Bon Journey 9 p.m. Crafthouse Stage & Grill, Whitehall. crafthousepgh.com

MONDAY Hot Club of Cowtown 7 p.m. Club Cafe, South Side. clubcafelive.com

TUESDAY Thin Lips, Grace Vonderkuhn, Swither, Endless Mike 7 p.m. The Mr. Roboto Project. therobotoproject.com

WEDNESDAY Shoreline Mafia 7 p.m. Spirit Hall, Lawrenceville. spiritpgh.com

MORE CONCERT LISTINGS ONLINE

AT PGHCITYPAPER.COM 34

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

^ Mon., Jan. 28: Paradox: Frames and Biases in Art and AI

SUNDAY JAN. 27 EXHIBIT

will be reading from and discussing the book at City of Asylum. The event is free to attend, but RSVPs are encouraged.

6-7:30 p.m. City of Asylum, North Side.

Free. alphabetcity.org

Finding convoluted ways to complete simple tasks sounds like something kids would be into. During Rube Day, children and their families are invited to explore the Children Museum’s new exhibit Rube Goldberg™: The World of Hilarious Invention!, which features several of the cartoonist and inventor’s complicated and iconic contraptions. Themed activities also include musical-contraption building with guest musician Lee Robinson, and interactive movement and storytelling workshops with Attack Theatre. 10 a.m.5 p.m. 10 Children’s Way, North Side. $16 for adults, $14 for children ages 2-18 and seniors, free for children ages 2 and under. pittsburghkids.org

MONDAY JAN. 28 ART

TALK

Pittsburghers know who Fred Rogers is — the star and creator of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, a television show watched by children of multiple generations. But how much about Rogers’ life outside of the historic TV show is known? In The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers, Maxwell King — President & CEO of The Pittsburgh Foundation — tells Rogers’ life story in the first full-length biography about the television star. King

dream, she is transported to a whimsical island, where feelings of betrayal and abandonment drive the plot and chronicle her journey to forgiveness. Attend the production on Jan. 27 for a special Q&A session before the performance with Dr. Angela Keleher, director of the Allegheny Health Network’s Division of Breast Surgery. 6 p.m. The O’Reilly Theater, 621 Penn Ave., Downtown. $35. ppt.org

PHOTO: TESSA PAISAN

^ Wed., Jan. 30: Liquid Stranger

STAGE

The Tempest tells the story of Prospero, an exiled duke ready to take his revenge.

In the Pittsburgh Public Theater’s rendition of Shakespeare’s classic, Prospero is not a duke. Instead, Prospero is a woman battling breast cancer. In a

There’s no shortage of paranoia that artificial intelligence will grow too complex and come to oppress humans one day — but the machines of the future are already doing that, and they’re learning how to do it from humans.

Paradox: Frames and Biases in Art and AI, a panel discussion organized by and held at Carnegie Mellon’s Miller Institute for Contemporary Art, explores the inherent biases humans build into systems of Machine Learning. The panel is held in correlation with the Miller Institute’s three-floor exhibition of the same name, which explores the human body and its potential fusions with AI. Panelists discuss how contemporary art can challenge racial, gender, and other social biases implicit in AI and encourage

^ Tue., Jan. 29: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

experts to create tech meant to undo harmful prejudices instead of reinforcing them. The six panel members will include world-renowned AI expert Manuela Veloso and artist Jillian Mayer.

5:30-8:30 p.m. 5000 Forbes Ave., Oakland.

Free. miller-ica.cmu.edu

MEETUP

This is an especially trying time for trans members of the LGBTQ community. The highest powers in government routinely make statements denying the rights and even existence of transgender individuals.

Now more than ever, the community needs a safe space for gathering, to hold each other up and persevere. TransPride Pittsburgh hosts a monthly Gender Queer Meetup at Persad Center, which has been serving the LGBTQ community for almost 50 years. People who do not identify as cisgender can come together to share experiences, journeys, and advice. 6 p.m.

5301 Butler St., Lawrenceville. Free. All ages. persadcenter.org

MURDER

Head to the Sewickley Public Library for Let’s Talk About Murder, a monthly group discussion tailor-made for true crime fans.

Let’s Talk About Murder invites guests to speak on a wide array of topics, including local legends, unsolved mysteries, and serial killers. This month, the group looks at infamous international murder cases with the theme Around the World. If you plan on coming with a relevant story to share, please make sure to post about it ahead of time in the event’s Facebook page. 7 p.m.

500 Thorn St., Sewickley. Free. Open to adults 18 and over. sewickleylibrary.org

TUESDAY JAN. 29 STAGE

Oompa-Loompa, doo-ba-dee doo, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is coming for you … in musical form.

From the songwriters of Hairspray comes Roald Dahl’s tale with a new delectable score. Sing along to “I’ve Got a Golden Ticket” and “The Candy Man” at the Benedum Center while enjoying the classic tale of Willy Wonka and his mysterious chocolate factory.

Only a select few get to see inside and Pittsburgh’s got the golden ticket. Pure

imagination is not required to enjoy the show (although it helps). 7:30 p.m.

Benedum Center, 237 Seventh St., Downtown. $45-125. trustarts.org

FILM

The B-movie collective Neo Trash Video hosts a hilarious night of trash cinema with Bad Movie Bingo at the Smiling Moose.

Revisit the early days of Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson with his outrageous horror comedy Dead Alive. Set in Jackson’s native New Zealand, the film finds a young couple slicing, dicing, and mowing their way through a zombie onslaught. The cult classic has become known for its gross-out special effects and blood-soaked climax.

The event includes a movie bingo card, trivia, giveaways, and more. 9 p.m. 1306 E. Carson St., South Side. Free. 21 and over. smiling-moose.com

WEDNESDAY JAN. 30

SEX HEALTH

Prototype PGH hosts Jocelyn Kirkwood, herbalist and member of Pittsburgh-based

sex-positive collective Fair Moans, for a night of Supporting Your Sexual Health With Plant Medicine. The class combines sexual education with an herbal workshop to help participants maximize their sexual health and pleasure, while learning to avoid behaviors that might unknowingly be detrimental to their love lives. The event is “trauma informed, body positive, Queer and Trans loving.” 6 p.m. 460 Melwood Ave., Oakland. Free. prototypepgh.com

MUSIC

Like liquid, Martin Stääf, aka Liquid Stranger’s music flows effortlessly from one genre to another, meshing sounds to create his own distinctive downtempo dubstep. From glitchy exotica to intricate electronica, Stääf’s intricate blending results in deep textures that transports the listener into a computerized cosmic space.

He brings his Infinity Tour, along with techy-DJs LSDREAM, Champagne Drip, G-Rex, and Lucii to The Rex on Wednesday. Get ready for a show that is out of this world. 7:30 p.m.

1602 E. Carson, South Side. $25-29. rextheater.net •

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 23-30, 2019

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER

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Notice is hereby given that New Choice Home Deco intends to apply to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for a new National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit for industrial waste from their existing granite fabrication facility on Campbells Run Road in Robinson Twp, Allegheny County. This application will be pursued in accordance with the NPDES Application for Individual Permit to Discharge Industrial Wastewater Instructions (3800-PM-BCW0008a).

Persons desiring additional information, or who wish to provide comment concerning this permit application should contact New Choice Home Deco at (412) 567-0596, or DEP at the following address: Clean Water Program, DEP Southwest Regional OfďŹ ce, 400 Waterfront Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or by telephone: (412) 442-4000,

by February 9th, 2019.

IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-18-17165 , In re petition of Adolphus Hamilton for change of name to Dolphy Hamilton. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the ďŹ ling of said petition and ďŹ xed the 13th day of February, 2019, at 9:45 a.m., as the time and the Motions Room, City-County Building, Pittsburgh, PA, as the place for a hearing, when and where all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for

IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-19-458, In re petition of Gayann and Jabulani Moore parent and legal guardian of Gianna Mya Johnson-Moore, for change of name to Gianna Mya Moore. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the ďŹ ling of said petition and ďŹ xed the 28th day of February, 2019, at 9:45 a.m., as the time and the Motions Room, City-County Building, Pittsburgh, PA, as the place for a hearing, when and where all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for

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THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH Sealed proposals shall be deposited at the Administration Building, Room 251, 341 South Bellefield Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15213, on February 5, 2019, until 2:00 P.M., local prevailing time for:

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THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH Sealed proposals shall be deposited at the Administration Building, Room 251, 341 South Bellefield Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15213, on February 19, 2019, until 2:00 P.M., local prevailing time for:

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39. Streets 44. Puts into law 45. “___ Untergang” (2004 German movie that gave us the “Hitler reacts” meme) 47. Ceasefire 48. Approach, as at a singles bar 49. Calendar listing 50. Certain plants 52. “Cut ___ Hair” (Pavement tune) 53. “Yeah, uh-huh” 54. Hinge (upon) 55. Fashionista’s mag 56. Unit of resistance 57. Trivial Pursuit piece LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JAN. 23-30, 2019

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PEEPSHOW A sex and social justice column

ACCOUNTING FOR TASTE

BY JESSIE SAGE // PEEPSHOWCAST@GMAIL.COM

S

EX WORKERS hold men’s secrets.

Many of these secrets are the type you’d expect. They talk to us about their marriage frustrations, the kinks that they are afraid to tell their partners about, their anxieties, their relationship regrets, and the panties they wear under their suits.

What I didn’t expect when I started doing this work is that many of these secrets are about their conflicting desires in women. Much ink has been spilled on the way in which women are negatively impacted by rigid conceptions of beauty, and for good reason. Women feel pressure to mold their bodies to fit rigid standards, but men also feel pressure to only desire the women who do this well, despite the fact that men are often attracted to a much more diverse range of women. These oppressive beauty standards make men feel ashamed of and confused because what they like does not line up with what they’re expected to like, so they keep their feelings a secret.

With sex workers, however, things are different. First, our interactions are primarily private; clients do not have to negotiate the expectations

of their peers, family, and colleagues when relating to us. And second, the entire interaction breaks social norms, so beauty norms can relax too. In this context, men are often eager to lavish praise on women who they’ve otherwise been unable to express attraction too.

“SEX WORK HAS REALLY OPENED MY EYES AS TO WHAT MEN ACTUALLY FIND ATTRACTIVE.” In light of these positive interactions, many sex workers describe sex work as having transformed their relationship with their own bodies. I spoke with several sex workers about overcoming hang-ups.

Regarding weight, Amber says “Sex work has really opened my eyes as to what men actually find attractive.

I’m soft and squishy, and I always get compliments.” Conversely, Harmony

Rey talks about having fears about being too skinny prior to going into sex work, saying, “In the past I tried to gain weight because I wanted to be thicker (a positive in the Black community), sex work has really opened my eyes to [the idea that] there’s beauty in every body type.”

Sex workers I spoke to for this piece similarly talked about body hair.

Lily commented, “It took a long time for me to love myself in all my fuzzy glory. Stepping into this line of work has made me realize that sexy has many faces, and hairy can definitely be one of them.” Many sex workers that I spoke to also said similar things about areola size, cellulite, C-section scars, nose shape, and belly rolls.

What we all can learn from these sex work/client relationships is that beauty and desire is more expansive than what mainstream culture would have us believe. And more, we should stop this miserable cycle of women trying to be something they think is desired, and men working hard to try to desire that thing. We would all be a lot happier if we would just bravely be who we are and like what we like.

•

Jessie Sage is co-host of the Peepshow Podcast, which addresses issues related to sex and social justice.

Her column Peepshow is exclusive to City Paper. Follow her on Twitter @peep_cast.

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PGHCITYPAPER.COM

Peepshow Podcast, Ep. 40 Tube sites such as PornHub and YouPorn are hotly contested in the porn world. Every cam model, clip producer, and porn star knows that at some point their work will be pirated and uploaded to one or all of these sites.

This is certainly a problem with regards to privacy. Consenting to have your videos behind a paywall on one site is certainly not the same thing as consenting to have them everywhere for free. But it is also a problem in terms of profit. The ubiquity of free streaming takes money out of performers’ pockets.

In the wake of intense criticism, many of these companies have initiated affiliate programs where models can claim their videos and get paid for them on a model that is akin to YouTube. Seeing that this is gaining popularity, clip site ManyVids recently launched its own tube site and encouraged its models to stream some of their content.

To set itself apart from the bad reputation of the larger sites, ManyVids branded itself “the first ever ethical tube site,” promising “to save the adult industry.” On the podcast this week, we talk to Dahlia Dee, a seven-year veteran of camming and clip production. We discuss some of the issues with ManyVid’s tube site rollout, and what she thinks is the future of amateur porn.

For more, listen to peepshowpodcast.com/peepshowpodcast-episode-40

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