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FIRSTSHOT

BY JARED MURPHY

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MAY 1-8, 2019 VOLUME 28 + ISSUE 18 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 JOSIE NORTON, JEFF SCHRECKENGOST Events and Sponsorship Manager BLAKE LEWIS Sales Representatives JILL DOVERSPIKE, 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, CHARLES ROSENBLUM, JESSIE SAGE, STEVE SUCATO Intern JARED MURPHY Office Administrator RODNEY REGAN National Advertising Representative VMG ADVERTISING 1.888.278.9866 OR 1.212.475.2529 Publisher EAGLE MEDIA CORP.

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COVER PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM READ THE STORY ON PAGE 6

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Live horse racing at The Meadows Racetrack & Casino CP PHOTOS: JARED WICKERHAM

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THE BIG STORY

HARNESS YOUR HOPES

BY JOSH OSWALD // JOSWALD@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

S

ATURDAY, MAY 4 is the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby, which has hosted historic dignitaries like the 17th Earl of Derby in 1930, Harry S. Truman in the 1950s, and Lauren Conrad in 2013. Since I couldn’t make it to “The Greatest Two Minutes in Sports,” I traded the mint juleps and seersuckers for French fries and Kordell Steward jerseys to try my luck at two local venues where one can still legally gamble on horse racing: The Meadows Racetrack in Washington and The OTB (off-track betting) in Harmar Township.

The Meadows Racetrack & Casino was opened as a standardbred harness-racing track in 1963 and is responsible for the creation of Call-A-Bet and the Meadows Racing Network (1983), which allowed patrons to call in bets and watch Meadows races from home on local cable providers — impressive innovations for their day. The Meadows is home to historic trainer/driver Delvin Miller and Roger Huston, known as the “The Voice,” who has called over 167,000 races at more than 126 tracks in 17 states and seven countries, according to 2014 statistics.

The research was more scant on my second stop, the OTB in Harmar Township, which is owned by the same management as The Meadows. Online information about the OTB is virtually nonexistent. Google is of no help, unless you have a Da Vinci Code cryptex to generate the exact keywords in the proper order. Its address is hidden deep within the dark web and apparently only accessible by Pittsburgh City Paper’s editor-in-chief, who I had to keep asking for the link.

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HARNESS YOUR HOPES, CONTINUED FROM PG. 7

Live horse racing at The Meadows

The Meadows Racetrack & Casino: The Sport that Time Forgot THE MEADOWS hosts live horse races several days a week and offers simulcast races from around the country on a giant wall of flat screen TVs. All of the racing action takes place on the bottom floor of the casino, adjacent to the track outside, which boasts bleachers, benches, and tables to accommodate all of your sitting needs. If you’re looking for a sport with more cultural cachet, check out the bowling alley located behind the simulcast area.

I arrived at The Meadows on a Wednesday, half an hour before the 1 p.m. post,

so I hit the food court inside the casino Comes,” which was preceded by k.d. lang’s and thought out my betting strategy.

“Constant Cravings,” an appropriate tune Suddenly, a voice came over loudspeaker: for the compulsive gambler. When I got to “Please stand for the national the track’s betting room, which is anthem.” Within seconds, anycomparable in decor to a Medbody who could stand on Express, I was greeted by their own pushed aside 40 or so gray-haired men View Jared their hot roast beef lunches wearing winter coats deWickerham’s and MyPillow giveaways spite it being 70 degrees full photo essay to salute our nation with outside. While none of at pghcity quiet reverence. There them were there together, paper.com was a crackle over the PA everyone seemed to know system, and REM’s “Stand” one another, trading head blared over the speakers and nods and occasional handdrowned out “The Star Spangled shakes. They were scattered Banner,” an apt pun if intentional. throughout the main floor, at tables, and Heading down to the track, I was at rows of desks outfitted with banker’s treated to the ultimate pump-up music: lamps that resembled a college library.

Smash Mouth’s “Then the Morning But instead of studying Proust, they were

THE KENTUCKY DERBY AT THE MEADOWS RACETRACK & CASINO Sat., May 4. Viewing party on the Apron, with mint juleps, food and drink specials. 210 Racetrack Road, Washington. meadowsgaming.com.

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scrutinizing $2 programs and the 20 or so screens simulcasting races. It seemed to be much more business than pleasure with far more analysis than socializing.

I didn’t want to interrupt their gambling with questions that might shed some light on this demographic. So, instead, I interrupted Bob Nastanovich, a chart caller for Prairie Meadows in Des Moines, Iowa; member of Pavement; and Pittsburgh Pirates lifer. As a longtime fan of Nastanovich’s irreplaceable backstage caterwauls and auxiliary cymbal rolls, I had followed him on Twitter and quickly became intrigued by his horse racing knowledge.

“It’s just not as much a priority for the sports fan who is under 40 anymore.

Horse racing is not as significant in a town like Pittsburgh, it gets lost in the shuffle,” says Nastanovich. “You are going to get people where it is just part of their lives.

I probably saw the exact same crowd of

Bettors study the daily racing form before placing bets.

40 people when I went to The Meadows about four years ago.”

As a lifelong fan, Nastanovich grew up with a respect for the sport and went to a middle school in Central Virginia where the principal was cousins with the owner of Secretariat and Riva Ridge, two Triple Crown winners. He has witnessed, experienced, and analyzed the ebbs and flows of the sport since the ’70s.

“There will always be hardcore fans that go to the track, but those numbers have probably dwindled from 1,500 people per race to about 300,” he says.

“Really it comes down to poor racetrack management. It’s sort of gone the way of boxing. It is a sport that has not marketed itself well, it has not adapted to the times, it has not organized itself. There has never been a successful umbrella organization, and all the rules are different in every state, which is frustrating to bettors.”

After about 20 minutes of looking confused and watching senior citizens bowl, delaying the inevitable shame I was about to face by trying to place a bet with a live, capable human, I bought a program rife with information I did not understand. I had placed exactly two bets on a horse race in 2005, in the days of peak The O.C., and only had slight recall on terms like “exacta,” “trifecta,” and “box.”

The program listed each race, the horses’ names (definitely the most fun part), odds, betting specials, etc. Then there was this mess of numbers and hieroglyphic-like symbols jumbled together like the clippings on John Nash’s garage walls. Something that complicated can’t be of any value to me.

I asked the mutuel clerks if I had the definition of a trifecta bet right. She

explained it to me and asked if I understood. I did not but nodded and sat back down. After about 20 minutes of internet phone research, I cobbled together enough correct terminology to place three bets, which I think cost me one dollar each.

My betting system is a split between picking the best odds and most hilarious horse names. I won two of my three bets and made $16. There were maybe 10 other people outside, two of which were under heat lamps in the 70-degree weather.

While the wins were exciting, the overall desolation of the track cast a somber feel on the overall experience. Perhaps a more prime time event would be more fun.

OTB Harmar: Smoke ’em if you got ’em. Secondhand smoke ’em if you don’t.

I WALKED INTO the OTB on a Thursday afternoon and immediately got lost in a labyrinth of seemingly unrelated rooms.

There were probably 10 or so of the same type of older man I saw at The Meadows Racetrack & Casino scattered throughout the different enclaves. This place was like the brother of The Meadows, the brother that despite having all the same advantages as his sibling, fell on some hard times, lives in a Microbus, and speaks proudly at holiday dinners of being a freegan. The bar was in the middle of an elevated area that was under heavy repair with no one operating it. Several men smoked cigars.

I sat down at a table and tried to figure out how I was going to last the necessary time it would take to place a bet and CONTINUES ON PG. 10

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 1-8, 2019

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HARNESS YOUR HOPES, CONTINUED FROM PG. 9

WHAT ARE THE ODDS? HORSE RACING

BY THE NUMBERS

250 TV screens at The OTB Harmar This includes the big screen TVs in all of the smoking and non-smoking rooms and individual racing carrels and desks

750 Programs printed during an average week for both The Meadows Racetrack and The OTB

$826,000 Largest amount someone has won on track at The Meadows Racetrack & Casino

700 Stabled horses on the ground at The Meadows Racetrack

$68,000* Largest amount won at The OTB Harmar *The largest amount The OTB Harmar recalls someone winning.

They also remember someone winning over $150,000 at The New Castle OTB.

7,000 Pounds of feed consumed each day by horses at The Meadows Racetrack

14,000 Pounds of horse manure cleaned up every day at The Meadows Racetrack

The Meadows OTB in Harmar

collect some interesting anecdotes.

My table was in a nonsmoking section, which was adjacent to a smoking section with almost no delineation between the two. The patrons appeared simultaneously downtrodden and hopeful. Each room had about 24 tube televisions broadcasting different races, none of which were the same size, brand, or hue, like a discount table at Trader Jack’s.

There were betting machines scattered indiscriminately on the walls, which looked more like surveillance devices to be avoided than anything you’d want to give money and touch. It was like Blade Runner for horse gamblers.

There was no indication that anybody worked there. I went to the bathroom, which offered mounted ashtrays above each urinal — a timely feature for 2019.

I saw a room called the “Adios Lounge.” I had no intention of finding what was behind those frosted, glass doors. Probably more fuzzy, tube TVs, but maybe a body? (I later learned that “Adios” was Delvin Miller’s renowned sire and is now enshrined as a statue at The Meadows Racetrack & Casino, but I stand by my dead-body theory.)

After downing an Iron City from the

bar that was hidden in another corner of the building, which has to be shaped like an octagon because there’s a new, smokey catacomb at every turn, I lost my concern for general cleanliness and hit the betting machine. First, I had to buy a $5 program from a woman hidden in another corner watching Days of Our Lives. She was very nice. I popped a $20 bill in the machine and found the race I wanted, selected the bet amount, and input my picks. While that sounds like it went smoothly, the machine alerted me at least five times that I had done something wrong and would have to start over. Thankfully, I foresaw this and chose to use the most remote machine.

THE KENTUCKY DERBY AT THE HARMAR OTB Sat., May 4. Doors open at 9:30 a.m. Nomad live from 3-7 p.m. Hat contest at 4 p.m.

1 Anchor Drive, Harmar Township

I returned to the bar to watch my races and track my bets. There were about ten men in there and a woman bartending.

Some of the patrons had food from a

restaurant I could not locate. Only two men sat next to one another, but like I suspected at The Meadows, they all knew one another. I overheard spirited cries, such as “She’s got dirt speed, but not turf speed.” “Get up, eight, you piece of shit!”

There were friendly arguments over whether Aiello’s was better than Mineo’s.

Someone was asking “Who’s got the smokes?” and another was decrying the dangers of using heroin. This was more fun than The Meadows, but still clung to the dated ambiance obligatory to modern horse racing.

I had a couple more Irons and watched my $3 trifecta box hit in the first race.

None of my other bets produced a winner.

Calculating my first-race winner, the $5 program, and the 20 bucks I used to bet, I came out $1 in the black! It was also a net positive for overheard conversations.

As I got up to leave, the guy who had been there since before I arrived, just grabbed a Miller Lite, and said his job was killing him besides being recently promoted, asked the bartender one last question: “Do you like Blues Traveler?” I walked out as he treated her and the rest of the bar to his rendition of “Run-Around.”

Follow digital media manager Josh Oswald on Twitter @gentlemenRich

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In the stables at The Meadows Racetrack & Casino

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ITH THE Kentucky Derby coming up this weekend, horse racing is making its annual pilgrimage to the front page, as millions of people place bets and make plans for the big day. The excitement, the grandeur, and the tradition of one of America’s oldest sports captivate many into watching the buildup to what is essentially a two-minute race.

But the excitement doesn’t come without controversy.

Horse racing still has a ways to go in terms of improving its reputation of drugging horses. In states without bans, horses are often drugged right before the race, which can increase the chances of animals getting hurt.

Injuries often lead to euthanization.

Thoroughbred horse racing is the biggest offender. Known for their speed, Thoroughbred horses run in the Kentucky Derby, as well as other well-known races. The Thoroughbred industry has been mired with contro-

versy due to the use of Lasix, a drug that helps horses avoid nosebleeds caused by hemorrhaging during intense physical activity, allowing them to run faster for longer. But after 23 horses broke down and were euthanized over the course of three months at Santa Anita Park in California, all high-stakes Thoroughbred races agreed to phase out Lasix by 2021.

Standardbred horse racing, or harness racing, is less lucrative than Thoroughbred racing, but still draws a crowd at places such as The Meadows race track in Washington County, as well as other race tracks in Pennsylvania. This type of racing requires the horse trot instead of full-out run, all while pulling a small cart with a driver.

Standardbred is not without doping, but the offenses aren’t as numerous compared to Thoroughbred racing.

A bill in the U.S. House hopes to change some of that culture, but it has so far failed to get the support of most of Pennsylvania’s congressional

delegation and the state’s biggest race organization, Penn National Gaming, which owns race tracks and casinos across the country and in Pennsylvania, including The Meadows and Penn National Race Course.

Advocates of the bill say the support of Pennsylvania is crucial to make into law, but will it gain enough support in the Keystone State?

Pennsylvania isn’t usually considered a major horse racing hub like Kentucky or New York, but Marty Irby of Washington, D.C.-based Animal Wellness Action says Pennsylvania is in the top 10 of horse racing states. There are six racing tracks in the commonwealth that hold Thoroughbred and Standardbred races, and some with some sizable purses.

Irby says Pennsylvania isn’t the worst offender when it comes to animal welfare issues, like drugging horses on race day, but it’s not a shining example either.

“Pennsylvania isn’t the worst, but

Follow senior writer Ryan Deto on Twitter @RyanDeto

it is really at the bottom at the barrel,” says Kirby. “You don’t have a presence there that seems to be willing to crack down on the abuses.”

According to horse racing news site Paulick Report, Pennsylvania hasn’t integrated the Association of Racing Commissioners International penalty system, which calls for long suspensions and harsh fines of up to $50,000 for repeat drug offenses. Instead, Pennsylvania offenders typically just have races disqualified and sometimes fines as low as $500.

Irby says problems in Pennsylvania are common in other states. With 38 different racing consortiums in the U.S., it is hard to get commissioners to agree on standard rules for drug testing. That’s why Irby is advocating for the Horseracing Integrity Act, a bill in Congress to create national rules pertaining to the horse racing industry, including standardized drug testing and creating a ban on raceday drugging.

The co-authors of the act are U.S. Reps. Paul Tonko (D-New York) and Andy Barr (R-Kentucky), and both represent districts with a large horse racing

presence. The bill so far has gathered 50 co-sponsors, with only two from Pennsylvania, U.S. Reps. Brendan Boyle (D-Philadelphia) and Madeleine Dean (D-Montgomery). Race organizations like the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes are backing the bill, too.

Irby says for the bill to have a chance, more members of the Pennsylvania congressional delegation and Penn National Gaming need to lend support. Irby says since support for animal welfare is popular among Pennsylvania politicians, he expects more representatives to co-sponsor the bill.

U.S. Reps. Mike Doyle (D-Forest Hills), Conor Lamb (D-Mount Lebanon) and Guy Reschenthaler (R-Peters) all have records of supporting animal rights bills, but have yet to co-sponsor the Horseracing Integrity Act. A request for comment to Penn National Gaming was not returned.

In the end, Irby believes the bill isn’t just about the health of race horses. He thinks the bill will give confidence to horse racing fans that the sport is clean, and thus could boost its viewership.

“This is not a heavy lift for anyone at any track in America to support.”

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.GABBY NORMAL.

DERBY DRESS

BY GAB BONESSO // CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

I

AM A SUCKER for all things Derby: Derby pie, Derby hats, and naturally, the Kentucky Derby. It’s kind of odd that I have a fascination with the Derby because I have a deep fear and hatred of horses.

Even as a child, my favorite part in The Godfather was when the movie producer found the dead horse head in his bed. (Not sure if it’s worse that my parents let me watch that film as a child or that I enjoyed severed horse heads.)

But even though I hate horses, I love the Kentucky Derby. Why? One reason only: the fashion. I love the bright pastel colors and the gingham prints. I love the hats, loafers, and bow ties. It’s the kind of attire I imagine Truman Capote sporting.

Yep, it’s true. I am obviously more interested in what is deemed “men’s fashion.”

I need to make something clear: I was raised by two amazing humans who never put restrictions on my clothing.

Since I was a toddler, I was permitted to wear whatever I wanted without any gender expectations.

This leaves me to my dilemma: What do I wear to the Kentucky Derby? Not that I can afford to go, mind you; however, it’s on my bucket list so I plan on attending

before I die.

I’m not a fan of the Southern belle attire. I hate big hats; I prefer fedoras.

I do not like heels or sandals; my dress shoe of choice is a loafer. I’ve seen women wear rompers in lieu of a dress, but I can confidently say that I can’t hold my urine in long enough to safely wear a romper in public.

I guess I need to know how Ellen DeGeneres dresses to the Kentucky Derby to get some insight. I’m not going to be forced to dress in a way that makes me feel uncomfortable, especially if I’m pounding bourbons in the hot, Southern sun.

I grew up idolizing the fashion of Katharine Hepburn, Diane Keaton, and Frances McDormand. I think these women would prefer a bow tie to a floral fascinator.

I just hope that in 2019 we can move forward with even some of our favorite Southern traditions. I would hope a woman wearing a fitted suit, paired with a button down, an ascot, and loafers would not offend the other attendees.

Frankly if it did, the only other outfit I would consider wearing at this point would be a horse costume sans head.

Don’t mess with me, Kentucky. Clothes are like bourbon; they’re for everyone.

Follow featured contributor Gab Bonesso on Twitter @gabbonesso

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.VOICES.

WHEN CHURCHES BURN

BY TERENEH IDIA // CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

A

MERICANS TEND to idealize Paris.

The style, the food, the culture.

In popular Western imagination, it’s a city that’s urbane and historic, the gold standard. So when images of the roof and spires of Notre Dame in flames overwhelmed the media a couple weeks ago, it was understandable. An icon is in flames.

St. Mary Baptist Church, Greater Union Baptist Church, Mount Pleasant Baptist Church. These are three AfricanAmerican churches in Louisiana which were recently destroyed and did not receive the same level of coverage. They were burned in a manner reminiscent of the white supremacist tactics used in the 1900s to the mid-20th century Civil Rights movement. And yet, here we are, still seeing this in the 21st century.

And no, I won’t compare the time it took to raise $1 billion vs. $1 million. But let us connect these four churches.

Many of the parishioners of those Black churches in Louisiana are likely descendants of the thousands of enslaved Africans brought there by the French. From their traditional religions of West Africa, they became Christian — through promises, coercion, and even compromise.

Now consider that it was the labor of the enslaved Africans and their descendants which built much of the French wealth that helped to grow the church, colonies, resources, land and maintain it all.

We cry for Notre Dame and ignore

the churches of the Seventh District Baptist Association of Churches in Louisiana. The church of the slave owner’s heirs is mourned; the churches of the survivors of slavery are not.

What does the media do? They do what they often do. The white-led media largely ignores tragedies in Black and Brown. The Black church burnings — plural because there have been many in recent years. These church fires are not brought to the attention of the larger public because we understand who and what is mourned, who and what is valued.

We did not get to see most of the Notre Dames of the First Nations of Americas and of Western Africa. Those structures, that art, those riches, the intellect, the innovation, the architecture, the design, the wealth was largely destroyed.

Subdued, suppressed, and stolen to help create Notre Dame and other structures in Europe and the Americas.

Those three modest but beautiful churches in Louisiana: What would they have looked like if they were in the nations of their ancestors? What would they have looked like if they were built in the traditions of those ancestors? If they had never been forced to come to what we now call the Americas at all?

While we know Notre Dame was built before the transatlantic slave trade, how would the wealth or history of France, or Europe, been altered without the vast wealth acquired from Africa and Africans? Would Notre Dame still be standing at all?

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Follow featured contributor Tereneh Idia on Twitter @Tereneh152XX PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 1-8, 2019

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.RESTAURANT REVIEW.

THE SHADY DOG

BY MAGGIE WEAVER MWEAVER@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

I

F YOU’VE EVER driven down South Aiken avenue on a sunny spring day, .chances are you’ve seen The ‘Fro, aka John Spellman. He’s the charming owner and chef behind the neighborhood’s legendary hot dog cart, The Shady Dog LLC. From early spring through late fall, Spellman dons his neon tee and visor, and sets up shop on the corner of Morrow Park, grilling better-than-theballpark, too-good-for-a-cart dogs.

Spellman began his hot dog career on the North Side in 2010, parked outside of Allegheny Health Network. He moved to Shadyside just a few years later, after petitioning the city to make Morrow Park a vendor-approved location.

Since then, The Shady Dog has garnered a loyal following. Eating a dog from Spellman is like a barbecuing with friends; his spirit is intoxicating.

He laughs and pokes fun at his customers, welcomes regulars back with warm handshakes, and calls everyone “bro” as he dances up and down the line with tongs, the ‘fro bobbing with every step.

The ‘Fro — yes, it’s his real hair — serves as an unofficial mascot.

“Those who know, come see the ‘fro” is the cart’s motto.

Every day of the week has a ‘fro counterpart. Wednesday is Over-the-Fro day, Thursday becomes Throwback Froday, and Friday is TGI—’Froday. Except Tuesday, which is just plain Tuesday.

Taking care of customers is Spellman’s first priority. Don’t have cash?

He’ll cover the day’s dog, rather than watch you walk away hungry. He calls himself a friend to all, “like a brother, an uncle, or nobody, if that’s what you need me to be,” he laughs.

The Shady Dog’s menu is made up

CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

Owner John Spellman of The Shady Dog serves up hot dogs at his food cart in Shadyside.

THE SHADY DOG Morrow Park, Shadyside. 412-818-5132

of two hot dogs, a jumbo kielbasa, hot sausage, two vegan options, and the most recent addition, a kielbasa bowl (called the ‘Fro bowl). Spellman notes that it hasn’t changed much in the last 10 years, and it doesn’t need to. His

backyard barbecue food is simple and satisfying, as it should be.

Spellman cooks every dog to order.

It’s like watching art in the making as he turned and scored my kielbasa and quarter-pound dog, crafting the char and toasting the buns (you don’t want a dog to be “mush on mush,” he points out) while memorizing orders from the next five people in line.

FAVORITE FEATURES: Hot dogs are NOT sandwiches

Lunch for less than $10

Toppings

According to The Fro, hot dogs are not sandwiches. You wouldn’t ask for a hot dog sandwich, would you? Hot dogs are their own thing.

Nothing at The Shady Dog, including combo meals, exceeds six dollars.

Toppings know no boundaries at the cart. Cover your dog with chili, cheese, or garden-fresh jalapeños.

I stuck to my roots on the hot dog, topping it with sauerkraut and onion. My kielbasa was done “John’s Way,” with a douse of sweet barbeque sauce. I finished it off with onions and peppers, sautéed and slightly caramelized. Unwrapping it was enough to put me in a kielbasatrance. It had a little bit of everything: sweet, savory, and piping hot with the trademark snap of a good dog.

There’s pretty much nothing like Spellman and The Shady Dog anywhere in Pittsburgh. It’s easy to see why Spellman sells out in the few short hours he’s cooking. The cart lives up to its fame, serving up supreme dogs with spirit. But Spellman, despite his celebrity status, still sees himself as “just a hot dog guy,” serving up his best from behind the grill.

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Follow staff writer Maggie Weaver on Twitter @magweav

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BAJA BAR & GRILL

EIGHTY ACRES

1366 OLD FREEPORT ROAD, FOX CHAPEL 412-963-0640, WWW.BAJABARGRILL.COM The Baja Bar & Grill is the perfect destination any time of the year for dancing to live bands and taking in great entertainment every weekend.

In addition, there’s good food along with amazing views of the Allegheny River and the Fox Chapel Marina.

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.

BEA’S TACO TOWN

331 TECHNOLOGY DRIVE, PITTSBURGH 412-621-1551, ELIZAHOTELINDIGO.COM Set on the site of former iconic iron works, Eliza Furnace, Eliza is an American Bistro exploring classic Pittsburgh flavors, beloved by those that worked the furnaces, combined with the fresh perspective and seasonal sourcing that define what we eat in our region today. Relax with great food, cocktails, and enjoy live entertainment on the rooftop bar.

633 SMITHFIELD STREET, DOWNTOWN 412-471-8361, WWW.BEATAQUERIA.COM Authentic Mexican cuisine in the heart of Downtown Pittsburgh! Bea Taco Town offers tacos, burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, and much more all with traditional recipes. Slow cooked meats and fresh vegetables prepared daily will have you coming back to try it all.

CARMELLA’S PLATES & PINTS 1908 EAST CARSON STREET, SOUTHSIDE 412-918-1215, CARMELLASPLATESANDPINTS.COM Featuring an upscale ambiance, Carmella’s is located in the heart of South Side, serving a variety of refined comfort cuisine for dinner and brunch. The décor features a lodge-like feel with a wood beamed cathedral ceiling, stained glass and open fireplace. A local purveyor delivers fresh ingredients daily, which are crafted into unique and inventive meals, served alongside a curated cocktail list and comprehensive wine selection.

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.

ELIZA HOT METAL BISTRO

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.

OPEN 11AM-4PM

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. They also feature a cocktail menu of tequila-based drinks to pair the perfect margarita with your meal.

AAuutthheennttiicc

TACOS • CHIMICHANGAS BURRITOS • ENCHILADAS 633 SMITHFIELD ST. P G H , PA 15222 4 1 2 .4 7 1 . 83 6 1 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 1-8, 2019

17

412 Brewery welcomes you to our newest taproom on Pgh’s historic Northside.

Dog-Friendly taproom with outdoor seating, firepits, games and more!

847 WESTERN AVENUE

412BREWS.COM

ANGELIA’S

CP PHOTO: AMANDA WALTZ

Mint julep in a unicorn mug from the Renaissance Faire

CRAFT PIZZA & BEER

.ON THE ROCKS.

MINT CONDITION

18 beer rotating tap list Daily food and drink specials New Thursday craft draft happy hours

angeliasitaliangrille.com

18

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

BY AMANDA WALTZ // AWALTZ@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

I

T’S KENTUCKY DERBY season, and you know what that means: an obligatory article about the mint julep, the drink famously associated with the race. Consisting of bourbon or rye (preferably from Kentucky, of course), simple syrup, mint, and crushed ice, and traditionally served in a chilled silver cup, the mint julep pairs well with fat wallets and big floral hats.

I’m sure it would surprise no one that a cocktail hailing from the 19th century American South has a complicated history. My research uncovered its early origins as a more medicinal and far skunkier version imbibed by Southerners dealing with the heat. As the drink was a favorite among plantation owners, some experts credit Black slaves with creating the refreshing concoction we know today, claiming their contribution was erased by white-written history.

Regardless of where the drink came from, as long as people gather to see one of the most high-stakes horse races in the world, the mint julep is here to stay.

Churchill Downs, the site of the Derby, claims to sell well over 100,000 juleps each year during the big event. But which julep are you drinking exactly?

You have the Classic Mint Julep, a recipe consisting of three key ingredients, or Clay’s Kentucky-Style Mint Julep, an approach popularized in the early 19th century by Kentuckian and U.S. statesman Henry Clay. More importantly, which one will I, someone who has never had a mint julep in her life, prefer?

As a fan of mojitos, the white rum-

based cousin of the mint julep, I assumed that I’d have a positive first experience.

However, I was quickly reminded of my aversion to bourbon — one whiff of the Evan Williams I bought, which, to me, smells like someone set a bag of caramels on fire, nearly made me gag. Fortunately, the mint is the dominant smell, setting aside any concerns that I’d be holding my breath through each sip.

Both recipes call for the one item I lacked — an elegant silver cup. This provided a perfect opportunity to break out the metal-lined novelty unicorn mug purchased at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire, a surprisingly appropriate choice for this equine occasion.

As a sparkling water head, I assumed I would prefer Clay’s Kentucky-Style Mint Julep, which calls for San Pellegrino. But the addition of lemon didn’t quite mix, the citrus adding an unnecessary component to an already pungent, flavor-heavy drink. I ended up adding more sparkling water to make it drinkable.

The Classic Mint Julep came out the clear winner with its sweet, simple, easy-going charm. It was also far less messy compared to Clay’s version, which uses granulated sugar as opposed to simple syrup.

The juleps did have one thing in common; they both gave me a massive, instant headache, something I’ve never experienced with any other cocktail.

So, for what it’s worth, here’s to a hopefully pain-free Kentucky Derby to you and yours.

•

MAY 9-19 Get your taste buds ready for the deliciousness that Pittsburgh’s Northside has to offer during the Eighth Annual Northside Sandwich Week! Presented by Highmark from May 9-19, enjoy signature sandwiches from participating restaurants.

SANDWICH SAMPLER

PRESENTS

COMPETITION

MAY 9 • 6-9PM PRIORY GRAND HALL

TICKETS ON SALE NOW! CP PHOTO: MAGGIE WEAVER

Everything Cookies from The Gluten-Free Grains Cookbook

.FOOD.

GOING WITH THE GRAINS

BY MAGGIE WEAVER // MWEAVER@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

Q

UELCY KOGEL’S The Gluten-Free Grains Cookbook is built on the author’s cooking blog, With The Grains, where she shares recipes and their backstories. While Kogel is not strictly gluten-free, her cooking style relies heavily on alternative grains that can work with all diets. After nearly a decade of collecting recipes, her cooking style has culminated with this cookbook designed to “appease everyone at the table.”

THE GLUTEN-FREE GRAINS COOKBOOK Available wherever books are sold

The Pittsburgh-based author, designer, and stylist views food as a connection to those around her table, to her health, and to her agricultural ancestors, who used “nature’s genius instead of man’s chemicals.” Her focus on non-gluten dishes is to promote “real” eating, aka food without preservatives and additives. It’s another way she encourages communal meals as gluten intolerances become more prevalent.

She doesn’t sugar-coat the difficulty of sourcing a gluten-free pantry, calling it “a literal uphill climb.” The book introduces fake-sounding, ancient grains — amaranth, buckwheat groats, and sorghum — one by one, acknowledging the history, flavor, and texture of each (thankfully, she includes visual aids).

Even without the stunning photography — Kogel’s food styling skills shine throughout— the book is a page-turner.

She takes readers through breakfast and brunch, long Sunday suppers, grain bowls, and ends with sweet confections.

Recipes go beyond the average oatmeal or chocolate chip cookies, instead gifting readers with creations like beet breakfast cakes, Thai-inspired cornmeal sopes, and sloppy joe sweet potatoes. There’s something for everyone, from novice cooks to kitchen experts to Kogel’s beloved pup, Julep.

I tested my middle-of-the-road culinary skills on Kogel’s everything cookies. She dubs them her “solution to childhood petulance and [her] adult analysis paralysis.” The recipe threads together her mother’s day-long cookie bakes, her stint at Allegro Hearth Bakery, and healthy (ish) eating. It’s all of the cookie classics in one, laden with chocolate chips, golden raisins, crunchy buckwheat, and peanut butter.

Locating the unfamiliar ingredients without a stocked whole-grain pantry was the most difficult part of Kogel’s cookies. Even with my oat flour and buckwheat groats in hand, I still added gluten by mistake. But despite my gluten-free faux pas, the cookies were delicious.

They’re stout and dense like a muffin, and slightly sweet from the marriage of honey and brown sugar.

The Gluten-Free Grains Cookbook is “about more than buckwheat, more than millet.” It’s about intentional dishes, sharing and learning, sticking to values, and moving with the seasons. Kogel brings imagination and personality to her table, which makes everything taste better.

http://sandwichweek.pittsburghnorthside.com

•

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 1-8, 2019

19

SHEETZ VS. WAWA

BY HANNAH LYNN HLYNN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

PHOTO: TODD DOWNS

The Kickstarter runs until May 6

Anyone who has lived in the suburbs or rural areas knows the importance of gas station convenience stores. They operate like surrogate grocery stores or fast food restaurants when none are nearby; as a result, they inspire a surprising amount of passion.

How strong are these allegiances, and what do they ultimately say about our desire for identity and rivalry? This is the topic of Sheetz vs. Wawa, a documentary by local filmmaker Matthew Fridg, currently in the middle of a Kickstarter campaign to fund the project. It will focus on the competing passion of fans of Sheetz, a Western Pennsylvania staple, and Wawa, popular in the areas around Philadelphia.

“I mean, it’s a movie about two convenience stores on the surface, but I think some of the people are just excited to see Pennsylvania, a Pennsylvania filmmaker,” says Fridg. “They’re gonna see their home territory represented on the big screen.”

Fridg launched the Kickstarter on April 8 with a month-long campaign and a $25,000 goal.

As part of the Kickstarter rewards, donors can pledge their allegiance to either Team Sheetz or Team Wawa. Sheetz currently holds a significant lead, with the Kickstarter about a third of the way to its goal. • READ THE FULL VERSION OF THIS STORY AT PGHCITYPAPER.COM 20

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

PHOTO: PHILIPPE BOSSÉ

Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron in Long Shot

FILM

VERY LIKELY AND EXTREMELY POSSIBLE

BY HANNAH LYNN // HLYNN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

T

HE SLOGAN FOR the Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron vehicle Long Shot reads “unlikely but not impossible.” This refers to the odds of a journalist and politician falling in love, a woman successfully running for president, but first and foremost, the optics of someone who looks like that dating someone who looks like that.

The romantic comedy is predicated on this idea, without ever explaining what about the pairing makes it unlikely.

After his liberal publication is bought by a conservative media conglomerate, Fred (Rogen) quits and charms his way into a job as speechwriter for Secretary of State Charlotte Field (Theron), who is running for president. The pair know each other from childhood when 16-year-old Charlotte babysat 13-yearold Fred. Charlotte’s advisors are skeptical of Fred, a mildly loose cannon in a teal windbreaker, but Charlotte insists on employing him because market researchers told her she needs to be funnier. Fred follows Charlotte around the globe, and the two get to know each other again. Somehow, they manage to fall in love and no one can believe it. But their romance poses a problem when Charlotte’s advisors tell her the optics of the couple “would destroy your entire career.”

Fred is repeatedly described as smart, funny, and a good writer, but

he’s still seen as an appalling, impossible choice for the exceedingly graceful Charlotte. She dresses like Ivanka and he dresses like an aging Mac DeMarco fan.

Is it their opposing fashion styles that make them such an ill match? Or the fact that he doesn’t know how to mingle with the Canadian prime minister and she does? Or that he looks so Jewish and she looks so Aryan?

LONG SHOT Directed by Jonathan Levine Starring Seth Rogen, Charlize Theron Opens Fri., May 3

So much of the movie is focused on “the optics.” When Charlotte’s bodyguard catches Fred sneaking out of her room, Fred says, “Could you maybe not tell anyone about this?” The guard replies, “They wouldn’t believe me anyway.”

The obsession with optics is part of a trend that excessively praises women and admonishes their boyfriends. It usually goes something like, “All women are perfect angels, and all their boyfriends are useless hideous slugs.” It’s an idea running throughout Long Shot that, on the surface, seems empowering in a #girlboss way, but ultimately serves no one. People are not bad or unlovable because of how they look, even men.

There are equally as many bad men who dress well as there are good men who dress poorly. And the idea that all women are beautiful heroes, while well-meaning, is the same idea that excuses female politicians’ abhorrent behavior under the guise of feminism.

None of this even touches on the confusing politics of the movie, which include Charlotte, an environmentalist, working under a Trump-like president aligned with a Rupert Murdoch-like mogul. Or the bizarre twist where Fred realizes he had no idea his best friend, who is Black, is a Republican. Or the biggest long shot of the whole movie: a sex scene where Charlotte has an orgasm after five seconds of penetration. Or the horrendous ending, which simultaneously involves Fred coming on his own face and Charlotte becoming president.

The real bummer is that Rogen and Theron actually have good chemistry, and there are some solid laughs. The structure too is a rare modern movie that is actually a romantic comedy, not just a comedy that has romance in it.

The pairing of these two — a slightly chubby man and a statuesque woman — has never, in the history of film and television, been unlikely. It truly happens all the time, including in many of Rogen’s movies. Neither Fred nor Seth Rogen are underdogs, no matter how much they want to be.

•

.DANCE.

RAISING THE BAR

BY STEVE SUCATO CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

W

HILE STRIDES have been made

in recent years to address the lack of leadership roles and choreographic opportunities for women in dance, much still needs to be done. To that end, choreographers Heather Bryce (Bryce Dance Company, NYC), Erin Carlisle Norton (The Moving Architects, NJ/NYC), and Pittsburgh’s Shana Simmons (Shana Simmons Dance) have joined forces for Elevate, a triple-bill highlighting the many challenges the trio face as female dance makers.

After shows in Boston and New York City, Elevate will be close out in Pittsburgh with all three choreographer/ artistic directors’ dance companies on Sat., May 4 for two shows at Point Park University’s George Rowland White Performance Studio.

The collaboration of like-minded choreographers came about through the mutual connection of Carlisle Norton, a Beaver Falls-native, with Simmons and Bryce. “All three of us have been in the field a while and I got a sense that all of us wanted to keep pushing ourselves with new projects,” says Carlisle Norton.

“In our field, men dominate many of the leadership roles even though the field is mostly comprised of women. It was important to us to keep pushing forward for more leadership roles for women.”

The first half of the two-hour show is comprised of excerpts from each of the three choreographers/company’s repertoire, beginning with Shana Simmons Dance in Simmons’ “Grounded

PHOTO: JOSH PACHECO PHOTOGRAPHY

Shana Simmons and Brady Sanders in Elevate

ELEVATE 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Sat., May 4. Point Park University’s George Rowland White Performance Studio, 201 Wood St., Downtown. $18-25. shanasimmonsdance.ticketleap.com/elevate

in the Soil” (2015) danced to music by Otis Redding.

“It is my interpretation of how Redding’s music makes me feel,” says Simmons.

Next, Bryce Dance Company performs an excerpt from its “Moving Memory” (2018) set to original music by Spencer Snyder. The multimedia group work was inspired by her work with individuals with dementia.

The Moving Architects presents an excerpt from Carlisle Norton’s “COUP”

(2011). The work, set to an original electronic score by Ian Hatcher, looks at gender power dynamics and features an all-female cast. “It gets very aggressive at times, as these power structures are revealed,” says Carlisle Norton.

The second half of the program is the Pittsburgh premiere of the title work, Elevate. The three groups communicated long distance via Skype to work out the flow and develop the transitions between the three independently choreographed sections by each choreographer/company

Follow featured contributing writer Steve Sucato on Twitter @ssucato

to create a unified piece on themes of female empowerment.

It opens with the introductory dance film, also titled “Elevate,” and created by Gwen Charles, that sets the tone for the whole piece. Bryce’s “Stasis,” set to original music by Ricky Petraglia and Eva Lawitts, is inspired by the boundaries she puts on herself and the idea of being in stasis.

Then, Carlisle Norton’s “Walled” utilizes a 10-foot long semi-transparent piece of fabric as a symbolic boundary a trio of female dancers manipulate, wrap themselves around, and push through.

•

WELCOME TO PITTSBURGH! New to the city? We’re here to help! Our Newcomers Guide to Pittsburgh will teach you how to talk like a local, help you navigate your way around town, and take you on a tour of some of our favorite places in the city.

Available now at pghcitypaper.com.

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 1-8, 2019

21

CP PHOTOS: JARED MURPHY

Preslav Lefterov

.MUSIC.

ANTI-SOCIAL MEDIA CLUB

BY JORDAN SNOWDEN // JSNOWDEN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

H

EAD OVER to the website

inthemachineage.com and you will find a white background with a logo, address, and contact information for record label Machine Age. No hyperlinks. No tabs. No social media icons.

“For the first couple years, it was in

22

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

the plans,” says Preslav Lefterov, owner and founder of the Polish Hill-based house/techno recording studio and record label. “We were going to have a website and all of these things.”

At the time, however, it was the mid-2000s, and 22-year-old Lefterov was focused on excellence. He didn’t

want to put out a product into the world that wasn’t flawless.

“If I were to tell someone younger now,” he says, “I would be like, ‘Get it out there, don’t fixate on getting it perfect.’ I was paralyzed by ‘I gotta get it right.’ And that’s really the worst enemy of output.”

A few years into Machine Age, Lefterov still had yet to finalize a website when a friend told him about word of mouth marketing, which is prominent in Japan where the friend had visited.

The strategy focuses on output, having such a standout product or service that consumers spread the word about a

business. Lefterov was captivated with the idea, and since Machine Age was already unintentionally going down that path, he decided to go with it.

Started as a recording studio in 2004, Lefterov and his business partner, Adam Ratana, decided to expand Machine Age in the early 2010s to include three record labels – Machine Age Records, Pittsburgh Tracks, and Love What You Feel (LWYF).

For Machine Age Records, the idea was to put out music recorded in the studio. For Pittsburgh Tracks, the duo decided to center the label around Pittsburgh artists, opening the circle to include any local artist with a dance music theme. The first Pittsburgh Tracks release was in 2011 by a group Lefterov and Ratana started called Pittsburgh Track Authority. LWYF expanded Machine Age’s reach even further – the unrestricted label features worldwide artists like the L.A.based Santiago Salazar, who released his first full-length album Chicanismo on LWYF in 2015. He’s following up the

debut with Night Owl, a house album with techno influences, set to drop in the next few months.

While the team initially decided not to have a website, the emergence of social media allowed for another platform in which to market Machine Age. Almost all of Machine Age and its branches can be found on social media.

However, posting is disjointed. Some haven’t posted since 2015.

“I can’t say that it hasn’t hurt us,” says Lefterov. “But it was our choice.

I have my own personal Instagram account that has a bigger following than the Machine Age account. Same with Twitter. So I post on those. It’s too much to have a business social media and then have your own, and how to mix them.

It’s allowed us the time and energy to focus on the labels and putting out projects that we really believe in and want to creatively support ourselves.”

Outside of Machine Age, Lefterov works with a program from Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh that helps residents of public and affordable housing learn how to use audio and recording equipment.

“If you’re interested in what we do, you have access to it,” says Lefterov. “The music found on Machine Age’s labels is available on all streaming platforms. But thinking that you can influence people to buy by constantly bombarding them with information and promotional material is not effective. It’s too much noise on social media.”

“IT’S ALLOWED US THE TIME AND ENERGY TO FOCUS ON THE LABELS AND PUTTING OUT PROJECTS THAT WE REALLY BELIEVE IN AND WANT TO CREATIVELY SUPPORT OURSELVES.” “We don’t have the capacity of having a huge team, having a dedicated person to do social media,” says Lefterov. “It kind of fell to the side because I wanted to spend more time working with clients and that side of things, instead of constantly feeling the need to be on top of a website and social media strategy.”

The team at Machine Age is small, with fewer than 10 people making sure all the parts are moving correctly.

•

PROUDLY TATTOOING PITTSBURGH SINCE ‘94!

HOUSE BLUES

BY JORDAN SNOWDEN JSNOWDEN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

There’s a misconception about electronic music. Because music festivals have gained popularity and EDM has become infused with pop music – finding its way onto the radio and Top 40 charts – people believe that the scene is thriving. And it is, sort of. Mainstream electronic music genres like future bass and dubstep have found a home in Pittsburgh. Scenario on the South Side and Brillobox in Bloomfield both have regular dance nights featuring those EDM genres. But left aside is house and techno.

“There’s always been a dance music scene in Pittsburgh,” says Preslav Lefterov, owner and founder of Machine Age, a house/techno recording studio and record label. “[But] there hasn’t been venues or clubs that focus on [house/techno] in a way that is accessible.”

Right now, the main places to hear house and techno in Pittsburgh are at Tilden and Hot Mass. However, both Downtown venues are after-hours clubs.

“Having a weekly night like Hot Mass, when it started, helped a lot,” says Lefterov. “It was important for that night to start. [Before], you couldn’t consistently say, ‘I know I can go to this place every weekend and see a really good DJ from Pittsburgh or a really good international DJ in one place.’”

When Hot Mass first opened, Machine Age DJs had a residency at the club for about a year. This was also at the beginning of Machine Age. “Our first record was on a record label out of London,” says Lefterov. “At the time, there wasn’t infrastructure in Pittsburgh for anyone to release our music. There weren’t any dance music labels operating in 2011 in Pittsburgh. We had to build that infrastructure ourselves.”

Now, local electronic producers have more opportunities than ever to release music. Along with local labels, there’s Soundcloud and Bandcamp, where artists can share their music with the click of a button. But finding a place to play live is a different story.

“We need more venues dedicated to [house and techno] that isn’t an after-hours club,” says Lefterov. “Hot Mass is not what most people think of as a club because it’s not something you can go to between the hours of [10 p.m. and 2 a.m.]. I think that that’s still missing, and the reason is because there isn’t the support for [the genre] still.” •

tattoo & piercing studio

Open Daily, 1pm-8pm walk-ins welcome, appointments recommended!

(412) 683-4320 5240 Butler St. Pgh, PA • 15201 @inkadinkadoo_tattoo

Follow staff writer Jordan Snowden on Twitter @snowden_jordan

inkadinkadoo.net PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 1-8, 2019

23

FOOD AND DRINK Best New Restaurant Best Restaurant (DOWNTOWN and VICINITY) Best Restaurant (NORTH) Best Restaurant (NORTHEAST) Best Restaurant (SOUTH) Best Restaurant (SOUTHEAST) Best Restaurant (WEST) Best Chef Best Indian Restaurant Best Japanese Restaurant Best Italian Restaurant Best Thai Restaurant Best French Restaurant Best Chinese Restaurant Best Middle-Eastern Restaurant Best Mexican/Latin American Restaurant Best Contemporary American Restaurant Best Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurant Best Kid-Friendly Restaurant Best Dog-Friendly Restaurant Best Steakhouse Best Seafood Best Sushi Best BBQ Best Milkshake Best Sandwich Best Burger Best Pizza Best Wings Best Taco Best Hot Dog Best Buffet Best Coffeehouse Best Tea Shop Best Restaurant Desserts Best Bakery Best Ice Cream Best Candy Store Best Sunday Brunch

NOMINATE

VOTE

PARTY

April 17-May 12

May 27-July 7

August 8 NOMINATE US!

Best Medical Marijuana Dispensary 24

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412BREWS.COM 847 WESTERN AVE

Best Downtown Lunch Spot Best Happy Hour Best Outdoor Dining Best Rooftop Bar Best Hotel Bar Best Late-Night g Menu Best Pub-Grub Best Gluten-Free Menu Best Food-Delivery Service Best Margarita Best Martini Best Bloody Mary Best Local Beer Best Restaurant Beer List Best Wine List Best Locally Made Spirit Best Food Truck Best New Food Truck Best Juice/Smoothie Bar Best Food-Related Event or Festival Best Cocktail List Best Craft Cocktail Best French Fries

PEOPLE AND PLACES Best Nonprofit Nonprofit Best Local Instagram Account Best Local Twitter Account Best Local Youtube Account Best Local Podcast Best Local Blog Best Activist Best Place to Volunteer Best Facial Hair Best Local Legend Best Pittsburgh Power Couple Best Pittsburgh Fashion Icon Best Political Sidekick Best Local Mascot Best Public Art

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25

SEVEN DAYS OF CONCERTS VALERIE JUNE THURSDAY, MAY 2

Drawing an eclectic mix of comparisons to Billie Holiday, Dolly Parton, and the Carter Family, Valerie June’s intoxicating voice blurs the lines between folk, gospel, and blues. On her sophomore album The Order Of Time, “Man Done Wrong” sounds as though it crawled its way out of the Southern soul of the 1960s, while “With You” is softer, sweeter, featuring a child-like voice emanating from June. She sees music as a living, breathing entity, and this mentality transfers into heavy ebbs and flows pocketed throughout her catalogue. June performs at Carnegie Lecture Hall with special guest Parker Gisperton. 8-10 p.m. 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland. $20-25. warhol.org PHOTO: JACOB BLICKENSTAFF

Valerie June

FULL LIST ONLINE pghcitypaper.com

THURSDAY MAY 2

JAZZ

FOLK/BLUEGRASS

ROGER HUMPHRIES AND THE RH FACTOR BAND. Wallace’s Whiskey Room.

7 p.m. East Liberty.

THE GRASS IS DEAD. Rex Theater. 8 p.m. South Side.

DEAD AND IN THE WAY. Allegheny City Brewing.

7:30 p.m. North Side.

ROCK/PUNK TELEVISION. Mr. Smalls Theatre.

8 p.m. Millvale.

COMBICHRIST. Crafthouse Stage and Grill.

7 p.m. Whitehall.

RESURRECTION (JOURNEY TRIBUTE). Jergels. 8 p.m.

Warrendale.

SCUMRAID. Artist Image Resource. 7 p.m. North Side.

ACOUSTIC/COVERS DARYL SHAWN. Scratch Food and Beverage.

8 p.m. Troy Hill.

ALEX TALBOT. Southern Tier Brewing Co. 5 p.m. North Side.

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MARK PETERS AND THE JAZZ CONSPIRACY. Allegheny Elks Lodge #339. 7:15 p.m. North Side.

FRIDAY MAY 3 JAZZ/SOUL JD CHAISSON TRIO. Wolfie’s Pub. 5 p.m. Downtown.

RICK MATT TRIO. Enix Brewing. 7 p.m. Homestead.

JIMMY ADLER BAND. Andrew Carnegie Free Library Music Hall. 7:30 p.m. Carnegie.

JOEY HARKUM BAND. Club Cafe.

10:30 p.m. South Side.

SATURDAY MAY 4

HELLIN BACK BAND. Tarentum Elks. 8 p.m. Tarentum.

SHADE TEN (COVERS).

Crafthouse Stage and Grill.

9 p.m. Warrendale.

REGGAE/SKA

DEAD RIVER, REFLEX MACHINE. Gooskis. 8 p.m. Polish Hill.

BILLY THE KID AND THE REGULATORS. Hard Rock Cafe.

9 p.m. Station Square.

THE SLACKERS. The Smiling Moose. 6 p.m. South Side.

VILLAINESS. Apple Inn. 9:30 p.m. Dormont.

KEYSTONE VIBE. Federal Galley.

8 p.m. North Side.

DJS

ROCK

JACK’S SHADOW. Hambones.

8 p.m. Lawrenceville.

THE FLOW BAND. NOLA On The Square. 8 p.m. Downtown.

RIGHT TURNCLYDE. Froggy’s Bar. 8 p.m. Bloomfield.

CLASSICAL

DJS JUAN DIEGO (PANDEMIC DE MAYO).

Brillobox. 9:30 p.m.

Lawrenceville.

DAN BUBIEN & THE DELTA STRUTS. Wolfie’s Pub. 8 p.m.

Downtown.

DJ TAY JAMES (OFFICIAL DJ OF JUSTIN BIEBER).

Cosmo on Carson.

6 p.m. South Side.

COUNTRY/FOLK

HIP HOP

ERIC CHURCH. PPG Paints Arena.

8 p.m. Downtown.

FULLY FUNKTIONAL. Full Pint Wild Side Pub. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville.

PITTSBURGH MANDOLIN ORCHESTRA. St. John’s Lutheran Church of Highland.

7 p.m. McCandless.

ACOUSTIC

TITLE TOWN (SOUL/FUNK).

Spirit. 9 p.m. Lawrenceville.

LONGTURN PRESENTS: PYRAMID (TECHNO/HOUSE).

Brillobox. 9 p.m.

Lawrenceville.

GENE ON EARTH, THE GHOST. Hot Mass.

12 a.m. Downtown.

EMMA’S REVOLUTION. First Unitarian Church.

7:30 p.m. Shadyside.

POP

JEREMY CAYWOOD. Mr. Smalls Theatre. 7:30 p.m. Millvale.

NO BAD JUJU. Crafthouse Stage and Grill. 9 p.m. Whitehall.

ROCK

JAZZ

BACH CHOIR DOES THE BEATLES. Mr. Smalls Theatre.

7:30 p.m. Millvale.

THE CRAIG HARRIS SEPTET: BROWN BUTTERFLY. Kelly Strayhorn Theater.

8 p.m. East Liberty.

EMILY KING. Carnegie Lecture Hall. 8 p.m. Oakland.

RAP/HIP HOP L.A.CHAE MULAN. Satalio’s.

6 p.m. Mt. Washington.

COUNTRY/FOLK ERIC CHURCH. PPG Paints Arena.

8 p.m. Downtown.

CATHERINE WACHA. Friendship Perk and Brew.

6:30 p.m.

Bloomfield.

SUNDAY MAY 5 ROCK/PUNK BACH CHOIR DOES THE BEATLES. Mr. Smalls Theatre.

4 p.m. Millvale.

THE FLYING LUTTENBACHERS. Mr. Smalls Theatre.

8 p.m. Millvale.

HIGH SPIRITS, SAVAGE MASTER. The Smiling Moose.

7 p.m. South Side.

The Romeo Club of MASD proudly presents

“America’s Premier Showman”

Mark Milovats And His Orchestra Saturday, May 4th 7PM

McKeesport High School Auditorium 1960 Eden Park Blvd, McKeesport, PA 15132 Featuring the McKeesport Band & Choir

Admission: $20 Tickets available through 412.999.9922 or Romeotickets@yahoo.com PHOTO: MELISSA ANN PHOTOGRAPHY

Aisha Badru

AISHA BADRU SUNDAY, MAY 5

For Aisha Badru, the most important parts of a song are the content of the lyrics and how they’re delivered. The electro-folk singer-songwriter spends so much time crafting her lyrics that production becomes an afterthought. This attention to wording has paid off when her debut album, Pendulum, dropped last year, it became an immediate hit — fans related to her vulnerability and critics fell in love with its radiant intimacy. Ahead of her June 7 EP release, Road to Self, Badru opens for Allman Brown at Club Cafe. While the songs on Pendulum came from heartbreak, Road to Self is Badru’s personal journey of learning to let go, evolve, and recognize her own worth. 8 p.m.-12:30 a.m. 56 S. 12th St., South Side. $12. clubcafelive.com

LANDMARKS PRESERVATION RESOURCE CENTER - A program of the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation Foundation

JOIN US AT THE LANDMARKS PRESERVATION RESOURCE CENTER FOR ONGOING WORKSHOPS AS WE CONTINUE PROGRAMMING ON ARCHITECTURE, HISTORY, DESIGN, URBAN PLANNING, AND OTHER TOPICS RELATED TO HOW CITIES FUNCTION AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION AS A TOOL OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.

TUESDAY, MAY 9 • 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM LECTURE: THE CORAOPOLIS TRAIN STATION PROJECT The remaking of an Ohio River Valley town through restoration of an historic train station.

PRESENTER: STACEY CHRISTE CORAOPOLIS HISTORICAL SOCIETY

INBOUND. Rex Theater. 6:30 p.m. South Side.

FOLK FIELD MEDIC. Mr. Roboto Project.

7 p.m. Bloomfield.

INTERNATIONAL JAVED ALI. Carnegie Music Hall.

5 p.m. Oakland.

CLASSICAL PITTSBURGH YOUTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA. Heinz Hall. 7:30 p.m. Downtown.

MONDAY MAY 6 FOLK THE FELICE BROTHERS. Club Cafe. 8 p.m. South Side.

INTERNATIONAL EMMET CAHILL. Our Lady of Grace Church.

7:30 p.m. Greensburg.

ROCK LAST IN LINE. Jergels.

8 p.m. Warrendale.

CLASSICAL

CLASSICAL

NOAH BENDIX-BALGLEY, ROBERT LEVIN, PETER WILEY. Carnegie Music Hall.

7:30 p.m. Oakland.

GODDESSES OF OPERA. Wallace’s Whiskey Room and Kitchen. 7 p.m. East Liberty.

TUESDAY MAY 7 ROCK/PUNK NANAMI OZONE, SWITHER, PRETTY TOMBS. Mr. Roboto Project. 7 p.m. Bloomfield.

THE MOUNTAIN GOATS. Mr. Smalls Theatre. 7 p.m. Millvale.

IN BLOOM. Church of the Ascension. 6 p.m. Shadyside.

WEDNESDAY MAY 8 HAUNTED LIKE HUMAN. Howlers. 8 p.m.

Bloomfield.

ROCK/PUNK WILDERADO. Club Cafe.

8 p.m. South Side.

JAZZ/BLUES

REHAB. Crafthouse Stage and Grill. 7:30 p.m.

Whitehall.

TRAVLIN. Backstage Bar. 5 p.m. Downtown.

BRING ME THE HORIZON. Stage AE. 6:30 p.m. North Side.

ABOUT THE PRESENTER: Stacey Christe is the president of the Coraopolis Historical Society. She joined the Coraopolis Train Station Project as a volunteer in January 2016, and has undertaken in-depth research on the history of the station as well as the architectural elements and artifacts discovered within the station. She is the creator and editor of two web sites on Coraopolis history and the train station. A graduate of the University of Tennessee, she is an account manager for TrueSense Marketing in Warrendale, Pennsylvania.

ACOUSTIC

I DON’T KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME. Rex Theater.

8 p.m. South Side.

CHARLIE BARATH, JIMMY ADLER, JOHN BURGH. Wolfie’s Pub. 5 p.m. Downtown.

In this lecture, Stacey Christe discusses the historic and architectural significance of the Coraopolis Train Station, its impact on the town, and the efforts of the Coraopolis Community Development Foundation in restoring this important cultural and architectural landmark.

THE MOUNTAIN GOATS. Mr. Smalls Theatre.

7 p.m. Millvale.

KUBLAI KHAN. The Smiling Moose.

6 p.m. South Side.

These listings are curated by Pittsburgh City Paper’s music writer Jordan Snowden and include events from our free online listings. Submit yours today at www.pghcitypaper.com/submitevent

THIS LECTURE IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. RSVPS ARE APPRECIATED: MARYLU@PHLF.ORGOR 412-471-5808 EXT. 527.

744 REBECCA AVENUE

WILKINSBURG, PA 15221

412-471-5808

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 1-8, 2019

27

CP PHOTO: AMANDA WALTZ

US Citizenship Test Sampler by Aram Han Sifuentes

..ART .. .

CLASS LESSONS

BY AMANDA WALTZ // AWALTZ@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

R

ACE AND REVOLUTION: Still Separate – Still Unequal, the latest group exhibition at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center, opens with two pieces by artist JC Lenochan. On one wall hangs an oldschool analog clock with the word “Race” replacing several numbers. A pile of textbooks leads to a chalkboard asking viewers to answer the questions “What was your race moment?” and “What was your class moment?” On the show’s

opening day (April 27), replies were already scrawled on the work. “I went to a segregated movie theater,” says one.

“While studying slavery in college, the entire class turned to me to start the discussion,” says another. Both statements encapsulate the Black experience, with the latter pointing to the show’s mission of exploring ongoing racial and economic disparity in the U.S. education system.

Curated by Larry Ossei-Mensah and Katie Fuller, Race and Revolution origi-

RACE AND REVOLUTION: STILL SEPARATE – STILL UNEQUAL Continues through Sun., July 21. 980 Liberty Ave., Downtown. Free. aacc-awc.org

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nally launched in 2017. On view until July 21, the show raises awareness of how, six decades after U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka ruling, schools are more segregated than ever, with studies finding that students from marginalized groups lack many of the resources given to their white counterparts.

To localize the show, various placards detail the history of legal disputes over educational discrimination in the Pittsburgh region, with one as recent as 2017.

Also included is the now-famous poem

by Antwon Rose II, a Black teenager who attended Woodland Hills High School before being fatally shot in 2017 by a

white police officer.

Personal experience informs much of the show — in addition to Fuller and Lenochan, who teach high school art history, the featured artists are either students or have educational backgrounds. Found throughout are miniature classroom scenes from Carina D. Maye, an adjunct professor at Georgia State University. Her work comments on the inequity in standardized testing, with subtle details hinting at disorder among the charming, delicate little chairs and books fit for a dollhouse. New Yorkbased special education teacher Uraline Septembre Hager sends a clear message with Like Feeding a Dog His Own Tail – the

installation, a tiny desk caged in black fencing, is an obvious reference to how children of color from segregated schools are more likely to end up incarcerated.

There’s also Mona Kamal’s I was an Adjunct, a series of lined notebook pages featuring handwritten accounts of the Algerian-born artist’s difficult life as an adjunct professor. On her website, Kamal says the work “points out the inequalities that exist within the American school system for both the students and a professor who is working part-time at one or several colleges.”

Some works go for a more childlike approach. The Blackmoors Collage series, with its many brightly-colored plexiglass shapes held together with exposed nuts, bolts, and other fasteners becomes all the more impactful when you notice the panels hanging from silver coat hooks familiar to public school classrooms and lockers. With its squares of hand-stitched text and images, U.S. Citizenship Test Sampler captures the immigrant experience by recalling samplers used in Colonial America to teach young children needlework and the alphabet. The Tales of Red Rag Rosie Chalkboard depicts the history of slavery and racist violence in the U.S. with featureless white paper dolls (one is dressed as a Ku Klux Klan member) committing horrific acts against Black paper dolls. The scenes are countered on the opposite side of the chalkboard with a hopeful image of a young Black girl in a red dress, her back to the viewer, her small, outstretched hand clutching a piece of chalk.

Not to be overlooked are additional pieces by Kayla Muldrow, Michael David Battle, and Marvin Touré, whose work Year One-Two invites viewers to take from a pile of newspapers with blank cover pages.

Compared to the center’s previous show Familiar Boundaries. Infinite Possibilities, which featured towering pieces and audio-heavy installations, Race and Revolution is quieter, more contemplative, as if trying to simulate the ideal classroom environment it wishes were afforded to marginalized students in America.

As if to confirm this, a small reading area outfitted with leather coaches and shelves of various books by authors of color sits tucked away in a corner. Perhaps viewers will use the space as an opportunity to take a seat, reflect on what they’ve seen, and learn valuable lessons from work by people who have experienced first-hand the harmful gaps in our education system.

•

Follow senior writer Amanda Waltz on Twitter @AWaltzCP PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 1-8, 2019

29

.LITERATURE.

LIVING LEGACY

BY REGE BEHE CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

W

HEN BRUCE Dobler and Ed

Ochester created their summer poetry reading series in 1975, they found an unlikely host in Jimmy Cvetic — a Vietnam veteran, Allegheny County narcotics detective, and boxing coach. But Cvetic, who passed away in February, turned out to be the perfect ringmaster for the succession of poets and writers, accomplished and otherwise, who read their work at Hemingway’s Cafe in Oakland.

“He was engaged to do this because he was outside of all the established poetry groups in the city,” says Kristopher Collins, who along with Joan Bauer, takes over hosting duties this year.

“They wanted a setting for community poets,” says Bauer. “Jimmy was regarded as a neutral party; he wouldn’t play favorites. He was just an original.

You knew unpredictable things could happen. Things could get raucous. It was wonderful, it was great.”

The 2019 season of Hemingway’s Poetry Series, which takes place Tuesdays at Hemingway’s Cafe in Oakland through July, will feature the reading of one of Cvetic’s poems at every session.

On May 28, the day after Memorial Day, the entire evening will be devoted to Cvetic with readings by veterans.

Cvetic quickly transcended his designated role as host. Always wearing a baseball cap turned backward, he became a confidante, mentor, and booster to many who walked into the cafe clutching pages of poems for the open mic sessions that followed the scheduled readers.

Collins was one of the poets encouraged by Cvetic. He was working at Caliban Books on Craig Street in Oakland when Cvetic came in looking for collections by Charles Bukowski.

“Here’s a guy whose reading habits I shared and respected, who had things

PHOTO: DUANE RIEDER

Jimmy Cvetic

HEMINGWAY’S POETRY SERIES 8 p.m. Hemingway’s Cafe, 3911 Forbes Ave., Oakland. Continues every Tuesday through July. 412-621-4100 or hemingwayspoetryseries.blogspot.com

that were interesting and valid to say about the work I was doing,” Collins says. “And he was enthusiastic and supportive of it. ... It was a really big deal, and Jimmy and I, just through being at the shop and him coming in, grew closer.”

Bauer’s friendship with Cvetic dates back to 2000 when she first attended the series. She quickly realized that Cvetic was unlike any other poet she’d met.

“What I really respected right away

was that he had a great deal of concern about not hurting people’s feelings,” Bauer says. “He wanted to give everybody some space, to really have a chance, and the open mic was always his favorite part of this series because he’d get to open it up to people who might not otherwise have been heard.”

While Cvetic was devoted to the series, he was also prone to hatching ideas that weren’t exactly fleshed out.

BETWEEN THE LINES Lincoln A. Mitchell, author of Baseball Goes West: The Dodgers, the Giants and the Shaping of the Major Leagues (Kent State University Press), appears May 4 at City Books. Mitchell’s book examines the exodus of the two beloved teams from New York to California in 1957, and how that move shaped the sport as it’s known today. 7 p.m. 908 Galveston Ave., North Side. Free. 412-321-7323 or citybookspgh.com 30

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

Both Bauer and Collins received many phone calls about events Cvetic wanted to hold, “big concept things,” Bauer says, that were short on details.

Once, Cvetic wanted to put on a show featuring himself and the poet John Korn reading while wearing nothing but wooden barrels.

“How is that going to actually work, Jimmy?” Collins recalls asking. “Jimmy’d say, ‘It’s going to be great, I’ll get back to you in a week about this.’ And I would never hear more about it. He always had these kinds of ideas.”

Even in his last months, when Cvetic’s cancer was growing worse, he was still suggesting ideas to Bauer and Collins.

“He was just plowing through then,” Bauer says. “He was determined to keep going and doing as much as he could every minute.”

•

Follow featured contributor Rege Behe on Twitter @RegeBehe_exPTR

Sponsored by

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

WED., MAY 15 SNARKY PUPPY 7 P.M. ROXIAN THEATRE MCKEES ROCKS. All-ages event. $33-38 412-331-1050.

With special guest House of Waters.

THU., MAY 16 EMILY BROWN AND THE THING 10 A.M. AUGUST WILSON CENTER DOWNTOWN. Best for ages 3 + 12 412-456-6666 or trustarts.org.

THU., MAY 16 JOSH RITTER & THE ROYAL CITY BAND 7 P.M. CARNEGIE OF HOMESTEAD MUSIC HALL MUNHALL. All-ages event. $21.75-149 412-462-3444 or ticketfly.com.

With special guest Penny & Sparrow.

THU., MAY 16 ZEAL & ARDOR 7 P.M. REX THEATER SOUTH SIDE. All-ages event. 16 412-653-2695 or ticketfly.com.

THU., MAY 16 AMIGO THE DEVIL 7 P.M. SPIRIT LAWRENCEVILLE. All-ages event. 15 412-586-4441. With special guests The Hills and the Rivers.

THU., MAY 16 MGMT 6:30 P.M. STAGE AE NORTH SIDE. $39.5 412-229-5483 or ticketmaster.com.

With special guest Warpaint.

FRI., MAY 17 10 YEARS OF ANIMALS AS LEADERS 7 P.M. ROXIAN THEATRE MCKEES ROCKS. All-ages event. $26-36 412-331-1050.

With special guests The Contortionist and Buke & Gase.

FRI., MAY 17 JEFFERSON STARSHIP 8 P.M. JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE WARRENDALE. Minors must be accompanied by an adult. $32-48 724-799-8333 or ticketfly.com.

FRI., MAY 17 DOUBLE DARE LIVE KOVALCHICK COMPLEX INDIANA COUNTY.

FRI., MAY 17 DOUBLE DARE LIVE

SUN., MAY 19 WE ARE AMONG US

7 P.M. KOVALCHICK COMPLEX INDIANA COUNTY. All-ages event. $38-84 etix.com

2 P.M. CITY THEATRE COMPANY SOUTHSIDE. $15-44 412-431-CITY or citytheatrecompany.org.

FRI., MAY 17 THE ARTIST UP CLOSE: KIM GORDON WITH RACHEL KUSHNER

SUN., MAY 19 MATT HIRES

7 P.M. ANDY WARHOL MUSEUM NORTH SIDE. Free event.

7:30 P.M. HARD ROCK CAFE STATION SQUARE. Minors must be accompanied by an adult. $8-10 412-481-ROCK or ticketfly. com.

SAT., MAY 18 YOGA PAINT PARTY AT CMOA

MON., MAY 20 DAMIEN JURADO

11 A.M. CARNEGIE MUSEUM OF ART OAKLAND. $40-45 412-622-3131 or cmoa.org

SAT., MAY 18 HARLAND WILLIAMS 7 P.M. PITTSBURGH IMPROV HOMESTEAD. Over 18 event. $20-70 livenation.com

SAT., MAY 18 L.L. BEAN FULL-MOON KAYAK TOUR 6:30 P.M. NORTH PARK L.L. BEAN TRAILER ROSS TOWNSHIP. 10 and up. 59 llbean.com

7:30 P.M. GREER CABARET THEATER DOWNTOWN. $21-26 412-456-6666 or trustarts.org.

MON., MAY 20 YNGWIE MALMSTEEN 7 P.M. ROXIAN THEATRE MCKEES ROCKS. All-ages event. $38-48 412-331-1050.

TUE., MAY 21 TRAPT 6 P.M. CRAFTHOUSE SOUTH HILLS. Minors must be accompanied by an adult. $18-20 412-653-2695 or ticketfly.com.

SAT., MAY 18 TUE., MAY 21 RACHEL B FEATURING PGH CRAFT BEER SCHOOL: CIRCUS ARTS COLLABORATIVE MEET THE BREWER ANDERSON VALLEY 7 P.M. CLUB CAFÉ SOUTH SIDE. 21 and up. $10 412-431-4950 or ticketweb. com/opusone. With special guests Parry Adams and Chrissy Costa.

6:15 P.M. GREER CABARET THEATER DOWNTOWN. 21 and up. $31.25 412-456-6666 or trustarts.org.

FOR UPCOMING ALLEGHENY COUNTY PARKS EVENTS, LOG ONTO WWW.ALLEGHENYPARKS.COM PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 1-8, 2019

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PHOTO: HOLOCAUST CENTER OF PITTSBURGH

Excerpt of a painting honoring the Tree of Life victims by Judy Robinson

.ART . .

THE NUMBERS KEEP CHANGING

BY HANNAH LYNN // HLYNN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

R

ECKONING WITH the massacre at Tree of Life is not a quick or easy process. It manifests differently for everyone. For artist Judy Robinson, it meant channeling her grief into both painting and poetry for The Numbers Keep Changing, an exhibit at the Holocaust Center on display through June 24 honoring Jewish identity, and the victims of Tree of Life and the Holocaust.

Robinson, who was born during World War II, says she has always been grateful that she was born in the United States instead of in Europe, where some of her family died in the Holocaust. Her work in this series is a reaction to the Tree of Life shooting, antisemitism, and a continuing pattern of Holocaust denial.

Her art helps her to cope with it all, but also serves to remind others to keep these

THE NUMBERS KEEP CHANGING Continues through Mon., June 24. Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh, 826 Hazelwood Ave., Greenfield. hcofpgh.com

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PGHCITYPAPER.COM

events in their minds.

“I have felt, as I studied that Holocaust, yes, it is the past. As I continue to study, these things don’t go away,” says Robinson. “And what can we do about it except try to inform, try to educate, try to keep things in mind so people don’t forget and people don’t deny?”

Each of the seven paintings in the series is paired with a poem, which sits in place of a tag or info box. Robinson has painted and written poems her whole life, but only recently thought to combine the two art forms.

In the poem “1945 Song,” a woman

struggles to forgive in the aftermath of the Holocaust. “A slender woman left behind/rising from the wastes of ash, in bright/pleats of internment cloth,” the poem reads. The accompanying painting features a woman in front of a bright blue and yellow background.

Her painting style is reminiscent of Abstract Expressionism. Sometimes the figures are clear and obvious, and other times a more instinctual reaction to the subject. Robinson dedicated the poem “Wildflowers Cover Everything” to Father Patrick Desbois, a French priest who has spent over 15 years uncovering thou-

•

Rabbis Akiva, Trad-yon, BenBava, Hanasi, Gadol, Shamua, ben Dama, Hakinae, Gamliel, Yesivav (the scribe).

Joyce Feinberg, Richard Gottfried, Rose Mallinger, Jerry Rabinowitz, Cecil Rosenthal, David Rosenthal, Bernice Simon, Sylvan Simon, Daniel Stein, Melvin Wax, Irving Younger.

Burned, flayed, beheaded, slaughtered, for the sake of their faith, Judaism.

El Kaddush Hashem: they Died as Martyrs, Taken from this plain of struggle and pain While actively serving God: This is the highest elevation of a life Spent on earth. They will be forever The most closely bound to God, Sheltered, cradled, held tight!

They are ours: the martyrs who will be remembered by shattered hearts but unbroken spirits; by all who come after us, forever: the beautiful, blessed nashamas of

by Judy Robinson

who actively deny that the Holocaust happened, or that it’s in any way connected to present-day antisemitism.

“It’s a horrible thing to realize what happened, and I get maybe they don’t even mean harm by denying, although many of them do,” says Robinson. “There is this push to deny it all. It’s important to me and to the people of the Holocaust Center that that doesn’t happen.”

From May 1-7, the Holocaust Center will hold a series of events for Yom HaShoah, the international Holocaust remembrance week, including the Waldman Arts and Writing student competition award ceremony, a commemoration tied in with the Center’s 2019 theme of Women and the Holocaust, and a staging of The Soap Myth starring Ed Asner.

Robinson hopes that her paintings provide a constant reminder of past and present dangers of antisemitism. “[I hope] that you have in your own mind now some more information that gives you some sense of what’s right and what’s wrong, so when you’re confronted or you see this kind of hate that’s in the world or people who deny the past, that you’ll know better.”

El Kiddush Hashem; A Prayer more than a Poem

sands of previously unknown sites of Jewish execution in former Soviet Union territories. The title of the exhibit comes from the rise of the death toll long after the end of the Holocaust.

“There’s all these fields and fields of bodies buried and he found them,” says Robinson. “It’s startling new evidence of the horrors of the Holocaust. The wildflowers do cover everything.”

One painting and poem set, “El Kiddush Hashem; A Prayer More Than a Poem” stands out, particularly for its obvious tribute to the victims of Tree of Life. The paintings depict all 11 victims of the shooting; the ones with more detailed faces are the ones Robinson knew personally. Robinson has gone to the Temple all her life, as did her parents and grandparents. The poem lists the names of all the victims and praises them as martyrs. “You are gone from us, yet you remain with us. All who come after us will know you.”

The Center’s main focus is to provide programming that informs students, teachers, and anyone interested in learning about the history of the Holocaust. It’s an especially important time for this kind of education, when they are still people

Feinberg, Gottfried, Mallinger, Rabinowitz, Rosenthal, Rosenthal, Simon, Simon, Stein, Wax, Younger.

You are gone from us, yet you remain with us.

All who come after us will know you.

All will worship you eternally.

You died El Kaddush Hashem: Shalom, Al Mish Ka Voe, rest in peace.

Follow staff writer Hannah Lynn on Twitter @hanfranny

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 1-8, 2019

33

.STAGE.

BACKSTAGE

BY LISSA BRENNAN CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

NAME: Andrew David Ostrowski, Lawrenceville WORK: Lighting Designer RECENT WORK: Pittsburgh Opera, Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, Point Park University, City Theatre Company, Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, Front Porch Theatricals, barebones productions, Grove City College UPCOMING WORK: We Are Among Us at City Theatre; Bright Star at Front Porch Theatricals; Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble; Edinburgh Fringe Festival

WHAT IS LIGHTING DESIGN? I’m a storyteller, but my storytelling is non-verbal. I give people the ability to see, where to focus. Subliminally, I can affect their mood. They don’t realize how light affects them emotionally, viscerally. They may see a beautiful sunset, or the clouds part and it’s a blue sky. Those are fleeting moments. They don’t realize how often that happens and how it affects their mood.

A horror movie is a great example of how light can affect you. Most often there’s darkness, and the darkness makes you feel anxiety, and then all of a sudden a light turns on and … bam!

AND HOW DO YOU BRING THIS INTO A THEATER? I have the bonus that the majority of the time my audience is in a captive box, as part of a world that I give people the ability to see within.

I look at my job as multilayered.

“Look here, this is the important part.

Let’s round out the picture, let’s make it a little more expansive, and let’s give it a little finesse.”

AND IT’S NOT ALWAYS REPLICATING REAL LIFE SITUATIONS? When you have a piece of fantasy, you have a little bit more freedom or artistic license. On a naturalistic piece like Death of a Salesman, the light has to be realistic.

WHAT’S YOUR PROCESS? I read the script just to read. I want to

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PGHCITYPAPER.COM

CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

Andrew David Ostrowski

know the story. I want to know who these people are. A couple of days later, I reread. Then within a couple more days, I have pen, paper. I’m ready to write down specifics, statements, and or questions.

By then I have a better understanding of the play and feel confident in my choices.

This will allow me to enter into the next realm — talking with other designers, the director, bouncing all those ideas across the table, seeing how people respond.

DOES THERE COME A POINT WHEN YOU CAN WATCH AND APPRECIATE, NOT AS THE LIGHTING DESIGNER, BUT AS THE AUDIENCE? Eighty-five percent of the time, yes. I think

everyone in our business has a critical eye to their own work. Most of the time I can sit back and enjoy, but it depends on how long the process was. Sometimes you can fine-tune things.

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED? In high school, I was part of the stage crew and I went off to college for computer science at Slippery Rock University. I [found] out that there’s a dance company and a theater company and after that, it just became, “I want to spend more time doing that.”

AND NOW YOU’RE SPENDING ALL YOUR TIME DOING IT, COLLABORATING WITH

EVERYONE IN TOWN. Wow, thank you. Theater is collaboration. When you walk away and you’re like, “Wow! That whole collective was a finely tuned machine believing in the same vision.” I know you probably don’t realize how much of a hockey fan I am.

OH, TELL ME. Sometimes I look at sports teams and theatrical teams as the same thing. The coach is the director, the team plays underneath, the designers, the actors, the technicians, the support. There has to be a cohesive clear vision, and when that happens, everyone can respond.

•

VINYL AND PIZZA

BY JORDAN SNOWDEN JSNOWDEN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

PHOTO: PAUL SEIF

Anthony Giaramita of Pizza Taglio

There’s a new party for those whose hearts beat for pizza and funky tunes, kicking off Wed., May 1 at Pizza Taglio.

DJ Paul Seif, who books parties under the moniker The Vinyl Dept., local DJs Anthony Susan, Deesus, and Jonathan Chamberlain (formerly of Delicious Pastries) were on the search for Pittsburgh’s best pizza – “for science.” They were enjoying some of Pittsburgh’s finest pie, when an idea came about.

“The conversation turned to ‘Wouldn’t it be great if there was a DJ night at a pizza spot?,’” says Seif. “I ran into Anthony [Giaramita] of [Pizza] Taglio later that week and pitched him on the concept.”

That initial conversation took place a couple of years ago, and now the musical pizza party has finally come together. Every Wednesday, Seif, WEDNESDAY Giaramita and NIGHT PIZZA his pizza, and PARTY Pittsburgh DJs will join forces to 8 p.m. Pizza merge music and Taglio, 126 S. food. The weekly Highland Ave., pizza party is set East Liberty. to be flush with facebook.com/ good food, good thevinyldept music (all-vinyl DJ sets), and specials – no corkage fee on specific wine/pizza pairings and special chef selection pizza.

“It’s so Pittsburgh to have a party in a pizza spot,” says Seif. “We like food, drink, and great music. Even better if all three can be had all at once.”

For more food and music parings, Seif also DJs monthly on Mondays at La Palapa, a taco spot in South Side. “It’s a great party and a similar conceit,” says Seif. •

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 1-8, 2019

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CP PHOTOS: JARED WICKERHAM

The St. Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church in East Liberty

.ARCHITECTURE.

SAVING GRACE

BY CHARLES ROSENBLUM // CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

T

HE MAJESTIC Gothic edifice sits

visibly damaged, but not completely destroyed. It’s shocking to those who see its architecture as a unifying cultural asset transcending any specific religion, and also to those who experience it as a unifying space for revitalizing a sense of community.

But do you mean the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris or the Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Pittsburgh’s Larimer neighborhood? The comparison

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is only absurd until you realize how instructive it is. We are, as Brian O’Neill titled his book, “The Paris of Appalachia.”

In either case, the capacity to repair it and put it back to use will be a telling commentary on our abilities to navigate interchanges of art and justice. Neither is sufficient without the other.

On April 14, the roof of the Paris cathedral became an alarming conflagration that threatened to destroy the entire structure (which survived with

severe, but repairable damage). News of the fire in the eight-century-old landmark brought boundary-crossing expressions of sympathy among immigrants and non-Christians, as well as the faithful.

After the recent fire, though, divisive controversy erupted when a sequence of French billionaires and associated corporate conglomerates offered 600 million euros for reconstruction. Isn’t this profligate wealth while workers are

struggling exactly why French activists the gilets jaunes, or yellow vests, had been protesting for higher taxes on the rich? The ease with which the wealthy moved to appropriate the cathedral’s cause led to division on an issue that had been unifying.

In this moment, our city has an advantage over our friends in Pittsburgh on the Seine, because our precarious Gothic church (okay, one of many in this city) has a process that prioritizes justice

FREE ENTERTAINMENT ALL SUMMER LONG

in revitalizing its art.

The East Liberty Development Initiative (ELDI), led by strategists from locallybased ULEAD consultants and collaborating with Partnership for Sacred Spaces in Philadelphia, held walk-through information gathering sessions on April 4 and 16 as part of an ongoing process to solicit neighborhood input about how best to reuse the church in whatever its next incarnation may be.

“We need input from residents and people who live near here, people that have interacted with this space in the past,” says Noble Smith of ELDI. These days, Saints Peter and Paul is in decline largely due to abandonment and neglect. It was closed by the Catholic church in a 1992 reconsolidation. A late1990s effort to reuse it with an associated charter school did not succeed.

Constructed in 1891 to designs by Adolphus Druiding and substantially rebuilt after a fire in 1909 by John T. Comès, the building is no Notre Dame, but its two major architects were both nationally regarded practitioners. They each had a German-influenced take on the pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and buttresses of Gothic architecture that shares a sense of the aspirational monumentality that makes the eminent Parisian structure an international touchstone.

Memories abound of its role in the Catholic community, but people love its architecture regardless of religion.

Its condition is both worse and better than you might expect. Decades of

abandonment have resulted in a general state of ruin with pervasive dust amid dilapidated staircases and falling plaster, though these sections are cordoned off.

In 2012, Kendall Pelling of ELDI lamented the bad condition over the beautiful architecture in comments to the Post-Gazette. “Right now, it defines the [neighborhood] as decay and abandonment.”

But a feasibility study from that year found it to be structurally sound, even after squatters had started at least three different fires. Subsequently, a deal completed in 2016 allowed the East Liberty Development Initiative to acquire the building with funding from the URA to abate asbestos, repair the steeples (which are still missing roofing material), and repair the roof, stabilizing the building substantially.

In fact, the persistence of such beautiful architecture allows buildings to broaden their constituencies and communities over time. In Pittsburgh, neglect of under-served communities has been a decades-long problem, and now gentrification is a contrasting, but similarly dangerous threat, as certain profiteering real estate developers push long-time residents out.

But starting with a grassroots view of what the neighborhood wants in a beloved landmark is the right approach to stave off both threats, allowing both community and architecture to be lasting legacies that new buildings struggle to cultivate.

•

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Follow contributing writer Charles Rosenblum on Twitter @CharlzR PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 1-8, 2019

37

PHOTO: NASSIM SOLEIMANPOUR

Nassim Soleimanpour

.STAGE.

FLYING BLIND

BY ALEX GORDON // ALEXGORDON@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

J

UST ABOUT 48 hours before they arrive on set for the first time, the actors in 12 Peers Theater’s newest production will get an email from its artistic director Vince Ventura. The email will contain the script and a list of 14 instructions for performing it.

This will be the first time the actors see any details about the play, and even with two days to prepare, it’s an incomplete outline: the script is riddled with blanks, like Mad Libs filled in by the audience during the performance.

That’s the premise of Nassim Soleimanpour’s BLANK, running May 2-19 at the Richard E. Rauh Studio Theatre.

Every night, a new actor takes the solitary role with a new audience, resulting in wildly disparate experiences for each performance.

“Every night, the audience have the play’s way,” says Ventura, adding that he full power to write a unique story in brought a lot of lessons from Rabbit to BLANK,” says Soleimanpour. “Be smart, this production. “It is a machine designed fun, and make a good story.” from start to finish, we don’t need to This isn’t 12 Peers’ first brush with embellish it.”

2980 LEBANON CHURCH RD. • WEST MIFFLIN, PA 15122 • 412-469-9992 experimental theater, nor with SoleiW W W . A N T H O N YA R M S . C O M manpour’s work. In 2015, Ventura and his BLANK company staged Soleimanpour’s White Runs Thu., May 2 through Sun., May 19.

Rabbit, Red Rabbit, a play with no director, Richard E. Rauh Theatre, 4200 Fifth Ave., rehearsals, or set, and actors who, as in Oakland. $20 (some performances are BLANK, receive the script just two days name-your-own-price). 12peers.org prior to showtime (A-listers like Nathan Lane, Cynthia Nixon, and Kathy Najimy have each taken a swing at the role).

If this all seems heavy on concept BLANK is something of a sequel to Rabbit, and light on plot, that’s because it is. but Ventura says it’s not necessary to see Interviews with pretty much anyone it in order to understand. (With unique who’s produced it all come to the same performances every night, it probably conclusion: BLANK is impossible to diswouldn’t help much anyhow.) cuss in any detail prior to its staging. The “My goal here is to stay out of the closest we may get to a synopsis is from Follow managing editor Alex Gordon on Twitter @shmalexgordon

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the play’s description on Soleimanpour’s website: “The concept might be simple; the result is nothing short of empowering as a random audience member sees his or her future determined by the imagination of others.” Not super helpful.

For those squeamish about interactive theater, Ventura says there’s nothing to be anxious about.

“It’s still traditional theater, you can still just observe,” says Ventura. “But we can go on this journey together if you like, we can create a story from nothing together. That’s what happens in the room night to night.”

BLANK opens with a preview on Thu., May 2 with Demetria Marsh in the lead (only) role. Other performers during the run include Brittany Tague, Missy Moreno, and Randy Kovitz.

•

.FOR THE WEEK OF MAY 2

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “We must choose between the pain of having to transcend oppressive circumstances, or the pain of perpetual unfulfillment within those oppressive circumstances,” writes mental health strategist Paul John Moscatello. We must opt for “the pain of growth or the pain of decay,” he continues. We must either “embrace the tribulations of realizing our potential, or consent to the slow suicide in complacency.” That’s a bit melodramatic, in my opinion. Most of us do both; we may be successful for a while in transcending oppressive circumstances, but then temporarily lapse back into the pain of unfulfillment.

However, there are times when it makes sense to think melodramatically. And I believe now is one of those times for you. In the coming weeks, I hope you will set in motion plans to transcend at least 30 percent of your oppressive circumstances.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You Cancerians can benefit from always having a fertility symbol somewhere in your environment: an icon or image that reminds you to continually refresh your relationship with your own abundant creativity; an inspiring talisman or toy that keeps you alert to the key role your fecund imagination can and should play in nourishing your quest to live a meaningful life; a provocative work of art that spurs you to always ask for more help and guidance from the primal source code that drives you to reinvent yourself. So if you don’t have such a fertility symbol, I invite you to get one. If you do, enhance it with a new accessory.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In my horoscopes, I often speak to you about your personal struggle for liberation and your efforts to express your soul’s code with evermore ingenuity and completeness. It’s less common that I address your sacred obligation to give back to life for all that life has given to you. I only infrequently discuss how you might engage in activities to help your community or work for the benefit of those less fortunate than you. But now is one of those times when I feel moved to speak of these matters. You are in a phase of your astrological cycle when it’s crucial to perform specific work in behalf of a greater good. Why crucial? Because your personal well-being in the immediate future

thing, because life will be conspiring with you to accomplish it. Your ability to express yourself in ways that are meaningful to you and interesting to other people will be at a peak.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): I invite you to explore the frontiers of what’s possible for you to experience and accomplish. One exercise that might help: visualize specific future adventures that excite you. Examples? Picture yourself parasailing over the Mediterranean Sea near Barcelona, or working to help endangered sea turtles in Costa Rica, or giving a speech to a crowded auditorium on a subject you will someday be an expert in. The more specific your fantasies, the better. Your homework is to generate at least five of these visions.

depends in part on your efforts to intensify your practical compassion.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “We are whiplashed between an arrogant overestimation of ourselves and a servile underestimation of ourselves,” writes educator Parker Palmer. That’s the bad news, Virgo. The good news is that you are in prime position to escape from the whiplash. Cosmic forces are conspiring with your eternal soul to coalesce a well-balanced vision of your true value that’s free of both vain misapprehensions and self-deprecating delusions.

Congrats! You’re empowered to understand yourself with a tender objectivity that could at least partially heal lingering wounds. See yourself truly!

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): The country of Poland awards medals to couples that have stayed married for 50 years. It also gives out medals to members of the armed forces who have served for at least thirty years.

But the marriage medal is of higher rank, and is more prestigious. In that spirit, I’d love for you to get a shiny badge or prize to acknowledge your devoted commitment to a sacred task—whether that commitment is to an intimate alliance, a noble quest, or a promise to yourself. It’s time to reward yourself for how hard you’ve worked and how much you’ve given.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Scorpio poet Sylvia Plath wrote, “I admit I desire, / Occasionally, some backtalk / From the mute

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Using algorithms to analyze 300 million facts, a British scientist concluded that April 11, 1954 was the most boring day in history. A Turkish man who would later become a noteworthy engineer was born that day, and Belgium staged a national election. But that’s all. With this non-eventful day as your inspiration, I encourage you to have fun reminiscing about the most boring times in your own past. I think you need a prolonged respite from the stimulating frenzy of your daily rhythm.

It’s time to rest and relax in the sweet luxury of nothingness and emptiness.

sky.” You’ll be wise to borrow the spirit of that mischievous declaration. Now is a good time to solicit input from the sky, as well as from your allies and friends and favorite animals, and from every other source that might provide you with interesting feedback. I invite you to regard the whole world as your mirror, your counselor, your informant.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In January 1493, the notorious pirate and kidnapper Christopher Columbus was sailing his ship near the land we now call the Dominican Republic. He spotted three creatures he assumed were mermaids. Later he wrote in his log that they were “not half as beautiful as they are painted [by artists].” We know now that the “mermaids” were actually manatees, aquatic mammals with flippers and paddle-shaped tails.

They are in fact quite beautiful in their own way, and would only be judged as homely by a person comparing them to mythical enchantresses. I trust you won’t make a similar mistake, Sagittarius. Evaluate everything and everyone on their own merits, without comparing them to something they’re not.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “I want what we all want,” writes novelist Jonathan Lethem. “To move certain parts of the interior of myself into the exterior world, to see if they can be embraced.” Even if you haven’t passionately wanted that lately, Capricorn, I’m guessing you will soon. That’s a good

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): The Blue Room is a famous Picasso painting from 1901. Saturated with blue hues, it depicts a naked woman taking a bath. More than a century after its creation, scientists used X-rays to discover that there was an earlier painting beneath The Blue Room and obscured by it. It shows a man leaning his head against his right hand. Piscean poet Jane Hirshfield says that there are some people who are “like a painting hidden beneath another painting.” More of you Pisceans fit that description than any other sign of the zodiac. You may even be like a painting beneath a painting beneath a painting—to a depth of five or more paintings. Is that a problem? Not necessarily. But it is important to be fully aware of the existence of all the layers. Now is a good time to have a check-in.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): “How prompt we are to satisfy the hunger and thirst of our bodies,” wrote Henry David Thoreau.

“How slow to satisfy the hunger and thirst of our souls!” Your first assignment in the coming days, Aries, is to devote yourself to quenching the hunger and thirst of your soul with the same relentless passion that you normally spend on giving your body the food and drink it craves.

This could be challenging. You may be less knowledgeable about what your soul thrives on than what your body loves. So your second assignment is to do extensive research to determine what your soul needs to thrive.

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 MAY 1-8, 2019

39

SEVEN DAYS OF ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT

ARTWORK: JEAN NOUVEL, COMPETITION ENTRY: CENTRAL BERLIN, 1990, CARNEGIE MUSEUM OF ART. GIFT OF THE DRUE HEINZ TRUST. LICENSED BY ARTISTS RIGHTS SOCIETY (ARS), NEW YORK/ADAGP, PARIS

^ Sat., May 4: Influencers: The Pritzker Architecture Prize

THURSDAY MAY 2 STAGE Earlier this month, Greensburg Civic Theatre announced the cancelation of its production of Sister Act, but in its stead is another winning musical stacked with infectious tunes. Songs for a New World — the 1995 debut of Tony Award-winner Jason Robert Brown — is a genre-defying collection of musical performances based around the idea of transformation and how people react to pivotal moments of decision (it makes more sense on stage and in song).

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Pittsburgh’s own Billy Porter starred in the original production in Toronto, and now the show comes to Greensburg Garden & Civic Center for three shows this weekend. 8 p.m. Continues through Sat., May 4. Greensburg Garden & Civic Center, 951 Old Salem Road, Greensburg. $20. thepalacetheatre.org

FRIDAY MAY 3 EVENT Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Dr. Ruth Westheimer became the unlikely face of sex therapy: a tiny, grandmotherly figure

who, with her thick German accent and infectious humor, transformed the conversation around sexuality. But there’s so much more to the famous sex therapist and pop-culture figure known affectionately as Dr. Ruth. Row House Cinema screens Ask Dr. Ruth, a documentary about its 90-year-old subject’s incredible life, including her painful past as a Holocaust survivor and unlikely path to a career at the forefront of the sexual revolution. Showtimes continue through Thu., May 9. 4115 Butler St., Lawrenceville. $8. rowhousecinema.com

PARADE Hit the streets and celebrate your workers’ rights with Polish Hill’s 10th

annual May Day Parade on the Saturday after the holiday. A little background: May 1 is International Workers’ Day, as declared by the International Socialist Conference in 1889. This year, Pittsburgh’s parade starts in North Oakland at the end of Melwood Avenue and marches to Polish Hill, ending at West Penn Park. Floats, costumes, and banners are encouraged. A picnic, complete with a maypole and pick-up baseball game, will follow. 1 p.m. 450 30th St., Polish Hill. maydaypittsburgh.wordpress.com

ART Artisan Tattoo Gallery kicks off an exhibition for John Muldoon during the monthly Unblurred gallery crawl in the

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^ Mon., May 16: w00dy at Weeds x Workshop

Penn Avenue Arts and Commercial District. Enjoy complimentary beer tastings from Vecenie Distributingo, as well as coffee, tea, and baked goods.

Then view works by Muldoon, a local multidisciplinary artist whose large, laser-bright, graffiti-inspired paintings feature iconic pop culture imagery from Pittsburgh and beyond, including Mr. Rogers, Popeye, The Simpsons, and more. 7-10 p.m. Continues through Fri., May 31. 5001 Penn Ave., Garfield.

Free. artisanpittsburgh.com

LECTURE The San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers have a rivalry that is close to unmatched. The players hate each other, the fans hate each other even more, and the

rivalry has spanned two different states. Both the Giants and Dodgers used to be in New York City, but relocated to California in the 1950s. Author Lincoln Mitchell thinks the Giants and Dodgers story has even a more profound effect on baseball and the country. At East Liberty Presbyterian Church, Mitchell will argue that the Giants’ and Dodgers’ move out west helped to set in motion the rapid expansion of baseball into a global phenomenon, as well as open the American version up to more Latino players. The lecture is hosted by the East Liberty Chamber of Commerce and includes lots of Pittsburgh Pirates connections, too. 7:30 p.m. 116 S. Highland Ave., East Liberty. Free. eastlibertychamber.org

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CONTINUES ON PG. 42

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 1-8, 2019

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CALENDAR, CONTINUED FROM PG. 41

PHOTO: BLOOD MEMORY/CUMBERLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

^ Wed., May 8: Students at the Carlisle Indian School, explored in Indian Adoption documentary Blood Memory

SATURDAY MAY 4 ART The Pritzker Architecture Prize — given not for individual works, but for a collective lifetime contribution — is one of the most coveted awards in its field. The Heinz Architectural Center at the Carnegie Museum of Art is celebrating the award’s 40th anniversary with an exhibit of past winners called Influencers: The Pritzker Architecture Prize. Featuring work from Philip Johnson, Zaha Hadid, Frank Gehry, Wang Shu, and many more, the exhibit presents the acclaimed architects’ work across “drawings, models, furniture and photography.” Continues through Sun., Oct. 20. Heinz Architectural Center, 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland. Included with admission. cmoa.org

STAGE Celebrate the (eventual, gradual) return of warm weather with one of the more

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underrated traditions of summertime: watching Shakespeare in the park.

Steel City Shakespeare Center presents Richard III, at Troy Hill Citizens Park.

If you’ve never read or seen this play before, it has all the good Shakespeare stuff: family drama, jealousy, romantic intrigue, a beheading.

The production is directed by the Center’s artistic director, Jeffrey Chips.

3 p.m. Continues for select dates through Sun., May 19 at other locations. 1619 Lowrie St., Troy Hill. $15 suggested donation. steelcityshakespeare.org ^ Fri., May 3: Ask Dr. Ruth PHOTO: MONGREL MEDIA

EVENT Motherhood can be a lonely place, with all the emotional toll carrying and raising a child can take, especially in a culture that doesn’t generally care about how women feel. The Brown Mama Monologues at the Kaufmann Center will bring together ten Black mothers to share a range of experiences of motherhood, from experiencing domestic violence to learning how to be a stepmom. The show “gives a platform to Black mothers in need of an opportunity to share their motherhood narrative, but also provides an opportunity to diversify the American motherhood narrative.”

6 p.m. 1825 Centre Ave., Hill District. $26.50. brownmamamonologues.com

SUNDAY MAY 5 MARKET The Pittsburgh Flea is back for another fabulous market this Sunday.

Shop an impressive display of handmade goods, collectables, books, oddities, and more from market vendors before heading down to Spirit Hall’s Sunday brunch. 11 a.m. 242 51st St., Lawrenceville. Free. Search “The Pittsburgh Flea” on Facebook.

FOOD Taco lovers, this one’s for you. The Millvale Riverfront Park is hosting a Cinco de Mayo Taco Takeover. Twenty of Pittsburgh’s best restaurants come together for a day of live music, beer, and lawn games, each offering a unique take on the taco. Eat your way through them all or pick a few to try — the choice is yours. To spread the love (and keep lines moving), satellite festivities are scheduled at Grist House

classical music to produce an overthe-top, multimedia spectacle. That means electric guitars alongside full orchestras, black tie outfits, and trippy, elaborate light shows. The tour hits Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall, with special guest Dee Snider (Twisted Sister, The Last Sharknado). 8 p.m.

510 E. 10th Ave., Munhall. $35-75. librarymusichall.com

and Strange Roots Experimental Ales.

1 p.m. 501 Lincoln Ave., Millvale. Free.

View on Yelp events

MONDAY MAY 6 ART Do your part to support the local LGBTQ+ community during the Persad Center’s annual benefit auction Art for Change at the Westin Convention Center. Bid on more than 200 donated works of art and gift baskets during verbal and silent auctions. There will also be an open bar and food by over a dozen local vendors.

VIP guests will enjoy a light supper by the Italian restaurant, Girasole, as well as other privileges, such as early bidding. Every purchase will go toward Persad Center’s counseling and support services to the LGBTQ+ community and those impacted

by HIV/AIDS. 6 p.m. 1000 Penn Ave., Downtown. $85-225. persadcenter.org

MUSIC Tune up your production and synth know-how at the May edition of Weeds x Workshop at Ace Hotel. The monthly event features musicians (DJs, producers, teachers, etc.) sharing their wealth of knowledge, then putting that knowledge to work with a performance afterwards (all

WEDNESDAY MAY 8 FILM

^ Sat., May 4: Brown Mama Monologues

for free). This one has experimental dance musician w00dy heading up the workshop portion; at 9 p.m., Berlin via Pittsburgh’s Nancy Drone delivers a live performance of ambient, experimental techno. Throughout the night, you can try out or even rent Carnegie Library’s collection of instruments and gear, which includes a Theremin.

Definitely try the Theremin. 7 p.m. Ace Hotel, 120 S. Whitfield, East Liberty. Free.

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Herb Ritts (1952 - 2002) David Bowie, Hollywood 1989 Gelatin Silver Photo Donated by the Herb Ritts Foundation

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TUESDAY MAY 7 MUSIC Rocktopia promises to marry the worlds of Led Zeppelin and Puccini, Queen and Beethoven, The Who and Strauss, and who are we to stop them? The touring show combines classic rock and

Prior to the creation of the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978, Native American children were at risk for adoption (or abduction) by the government, made to live in white and Christian boarding schools and homes.

While the Act has helped, it hasn’t fully resolved the crisis. Blood Memory, a documentary directed by Point Park University grad Drew Nichols, explores this longstanding battle between a white government trying to assert its power and a people desperately trying to hold onto an identity that’s been repeatedly stolen from them. The film screens at Row House Cinema with a Q&A with Nichols to follow. 7 p.m. 4115 Butler St., Lawrenceville. $10. rowhousecinema.com •

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FUSILLI QUESTIONS

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ACROSS 1. Stories with too many characters to keep track of 6. Be in sync (with) 10. Mobil stuff 13. To no ___ 14. Australia’s national gemstone 15. Labour party’s symbol 16. CX-9 maker 17. Where one’s buds hang?

18. “Frozen” cosplayer’s choice 19. Cheap thriller about tubular pasta?

22. AKA in an LLC 24. Young miss 25. 1972 Bill Withers hit 26. Some mythical birds 28. Coniferous tree 30. Was unconsciously loud 31. Proof of burning 33. City due south of Stillwater, OK) 35. Modern-day car message that alerts when near pasta?

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star Michael 48. Valuable string name 49. Testing spot 51. Conservative firebrand Shapiro 52. Down-at-the-heel type who loves pasta?

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LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 1-8, 2019

45

PEEPSHOW A sex and social justice column

BY JESSIE SAGE // PEEPSHOWCAST@GMAIL.COM

L

AST WEEK, luxury sex-doll company Silicon Wives launched a new toy aimed at foot fetishists.

Made of medical-grade silicone, these $199 sex toys are supposed to be a realistic representation of human feet; that is, if an amputated human foot included a built-in vagina that could be accessed through the top of the severed calf.

Unsurprisingly, the toy — sold as a set of two — received quite a bit of attention, with foot fetishists and non-foot fetishists alike commenting on this Frankenstein-esque pairing of foot and vagina. Many struggled to find the right language to describe it. Adult models Sammy Rei Schwarz referred to the toy as “ankle pussies,” and Busty Von Tease as “vagankles.”

This difficulty in describing the toy points to the discomfort it provokes.

On Twitter, Nancy White said she was freaked out that the opening of the toy looks like a vagina, but admitted she’d be equally disturbed if it was a realistic looking penis. “Those things don’t belong on feet,” she said.

“I feel like if you’re marketing a body-horror, severed leg with a vagina in it, you should really just unabashedly go for it and make it look more like Halloween, more Frankenstein like,” said Danielle Blunt, an NYC-based dominatrix who encounters foot fetishes in her work. “Foot jobs are great and

The Realistic Silicone Feet with Vaginas for sale on siliconwives.com

THIS DIFFICULTY IN DESCRIBING THE TOY POINTS TO THE DISCOMFORT IT PROVOKES. underrated, and I don’t think you need amputation to make it good.”

Yet, the fact that this toy was produced at all suggests demand for it. Sorceress Deirdre pointed out on Twitter, “The sex toys they make for men don’t usually seem so great

anyways, so if this feels any good perhaps non-foot fetish people may buy it [too].”

Webcam model Maya Bum thinks it has potential. “I like this. I wish I could have my feet molded for my foot lovers,” she says. “I don’t know how I feel about

the two vaginas though. … I guess that’s more of a question for the foot fetishists.” Blunt agrees, “If you are making a toy for foot fetishists, you should probably do more market research.”

Schwarz points out that despite her sexual interest in feet, this doesn’t do it for her. “If I want to fuck feet (and I do), I want to fuck feet,” she says. “Maybe a penis-owner will disagree.”

To answer this question, I reached out to two self-professed foot lovers with penises; they have both chosen to remain anonymous. Speaking of the vagina specifically, the first said, “The idea of a fake pussy is totally unappealing to me — I’d rather use my hands.” Of the feet themselves, the second said, “I am sure there are extreme foot people that would love fake feet. I am not at that level. … It’s the real thing or nothing at all.”

“I would never stick my penis into a silicone ankle and expect to get the same satisfaction as having a real foot,” he added. “Nothing replaces the feel, smell, and taste of the real foot.”

Could he imagine any toy feet that would turn him on? “It is kind of like saying, do you have a favorite dildo that turns you on like your husband’s body does?” Point taken.

When asked what she could do to improve the toy, Blunt, in a gesture to her own foot-fetish client said, “Make it a replica of my feet.”

•

JESSIE SAGE IS CO-HOST OF THE PEEPSHOW PODCAST AT PEEPSHOWPODCAST.COM. HER COLUMN PEEPSHOW IS EXCLUSIVE TO PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER. FOLLOW HER ON TWITTER @PEEP_CAST. HAVE A SEX QUESTION YOU’RE TOO AFRAID TO ASK? ASK JESSIE! EMAIL INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM. QUESTIONS MAY BE CONSIDERED FOR AN UPCOMING COLUMN.

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