February 12, 2020 - Pittsburgh City Paper by Pittsburgh City Paper

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FEB. 12-19, 2020

SWIPE MR RIGHT?

READERS SHARE THEIR TRUE STORIES FROM THE WORLD OF ONLINE DATING

The Strip + Port Authority As long as the Strip has been “The Strip”, Port Authority has been providing transit service that is only

minutes to Downtown and 15 minutes to Lawrenceville and the North Shore. When parking

is at a premium and driving is kind of a pain, Port Authority offers a convenient alternative. To live or work in the Strip is not a dream. Transit makes it doable.

Remember, we have bike racks on every bus, and messenger bags are welcome. While you may not see buses on Smallman, we run on Liberty, the quick corridor on the edge of the Strip. We’ve got plenty of technologies to enhance the experience, Trip Planner, TrueTime, mobile apps and super customer service, even WiFi. So hop on board and relax. At least for 5 minutes.

PortAuthority.org

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER FEB. 12-19, 2020

4 Smithfield Street, Suite 1210 Pittsburgh, PA 15222 412.685.9009 E-MAIL info@pghcitypaper.com

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FEB. 12-19, 2020 VOLUME 29 + ISSUE 7 Editor-In-Chief LISA CUNNINGHAM Director of Advertising JASMINE HUGHES 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 Senior Account Executive JOHN CLIFFORD Sales Representative KAITLIN OLIVER Operations Coordinator MAGGIE WEAVER Events and Marketing Coordinator BRYER BLUMENSCHEIN Business Manager JUSTIN MATASE Circulation Manager JEFF ENGBARTH Featured Contributors REGE BEHE, LYNN CULLEN, TERENEH IDIA, CHARLES ROSENBLUM, JESSIE SAGE Interns MEGAN GLOECKLER, OLLIE GRATZINGER National Advertising Representative VMG ADVERTISING 1.888.278.9866 OR 1.212.475.2529 Publisher EAGLE MEDIA CORP.

FIRSTSHOT

GENERAL POLICIES: Contents copyrighted 2020 by Eagle Media Corp. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. The opinions expressed in Pittsburgh City Paper are those of the author and not necessarily of Eagle Media Corp. LETTER POLICY: Letters, or e-mails must be signed and include town and daytime phone number for confirmation. We may edit for length and clarity. DISTRIBUTION: Pittsburgh City Paper is published weekly by Eagle Media Corp. and is available free of charge at select distribution locations. One copy per reader; copies of past issues may be purchased for $3.00 each, payable in advance to Pittsburgh City Paper. FIRST CLASS MAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS: Available for $175 per year, $95 per half year. No refunds.

BY MEGAN GLOECKLER

COVER ILLUSTRATION: JOSIE NORTON SEE THE STORY ON PAGE 6

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER FEB. 12-19, 2020

SWIPE MR RIGHT? TRUE STORIES FROM THE WORLD OF ONLINE DATING

CP ILLUSTRATIONS: JOSIE NORTON

In honor of Valentine’s Day, we put out a call a few weeks ago for readers to send us their best — and worst — stories from online dating. We received a ton of great entries (sadly, more than we’re able to print), including a surprising number of beautiful stories that ended in marriage proposals. (If you’ve been hesitant to jump into the online dating pool, there’s hope, Pittsburgh!) There were also — luckily for everyone reading the winning stories on the following pages — some funny misses. Whether you’re happily single, coupled, or still swiping, we hope this week treats you right.

THE PITTSBURGH TEST BY JESSICA J VICKERS

HIS WASN’T THE WORST, but I deﬁnitely survived a yinzer nightmare. I had been seeing this guy for a little while, and we had met on the OkCupid dating app. I invited him over for takeout and to watch movies, and I decided that I would introduce him to a yinzer delicacy ... Pierogi Pizza! He was from out of town, so I was so excited to introduce him to all things Pittsburgh. He took one look at this pizza, and I could see the instant revulsion. I couldn’t convert him to the Church of Yinzer, and I think I ended up eating the whole pizza by myself. Things didn’t end up working out between us, and I don’t want to say it was because he wasn’t interested in pierogis … but it probably didn’t help. •

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CURTAIN CALL BY KELSEY HALLING

MET HIM AT KELLY’S because that’s

where I met almost all of my first dates. There was something comforting about the old booths and sticky floor and dim light when confronting strangers. Kelly’s proximity to other restaurants meant that if things went well, I could suggest walking to get dinner, and if they didn’t … well, I could easily excuse myself after one drink and be home quickly. Inevitably, I ran into people I knew (this is Pittsburgh after all) who would glance over from their own booth, entertained to watch a first date play out. The staff knew me by then, they must have witnessed these rendezvous dozens of times, but they never said anything. This mutual silence felt like an unspoken agreement, but was more likely apathy. I treated online dating like a job. Nearly endless prospects were funneled into an ever-growing pipeline with a swipe. I maintained a decent conversion rate, which resulted in a few face-to-face meetings per week. I even outsourced the work for a while, handing over my passwords to a trusted friend with excellent taste. She swiped, screened initial conversations, and when approved, shared my phone number so the potential suitor could reach out to schedule a date. By the time we were sitting across from each other, I had a routine. A routine that was quickly disrupted when he told me that he was attending a Quantum Theatre production that night and needed to leave by 7:30. I was simultaneously relieved to have an early out and intrigued by a person who went to plays alone. He was genuine, smart, and interesting, so that even the most mundane aspects of a first date conversation (the sibling exchange, explanation of work, etc.) felt fresh and exciting. We were finishing our second beers and nearing his 7:30 deadline when he asked, “Do you want to come with me?” I already knew that I did. “What’s the play about?” I asked. “I don’t know,” he said. “Do you think they’ll have extra tickets?” “I’m not sure,” he replied. “Is this weird?” “OK, let’s go,” I decided. “Let’s be weird.” And that’s how I ended up not at dinner in East Liberty, or home early, but in an auditorium in Troy Hill. It was the best first internet date I’ve had. Thankfully, he’s still disrupting my routine. •

*Names in some of the stories have been changed to protect the innocent (or guilty)

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER FEB. 12-19, 2020

YEAR OF THE DOG BY BEN STOVIAK

SERVICES Services are offered to everyone, regardless of identity, income, or insurance status. • Full medical practice • Mental health services • Community health Navigator program • Transportation program • Food box program • Discounted pharmacy program • PrEP Clinic • Hepatitis C Clinic •HIV Clinic

CONTACT Proudly serving LGBT patients since 1999. 1789 S. Braddock Ave, #410 Pittsburgh, PA 15218 M Th F 8 AM - 4:30 PM Tu W 8 AM - 7:30 PM To make an appointment: (412) 247-2310

10 VALENTINE’S EVENTS YOU’LL LOVE (even if you hate the holiday)

VALENTINE’S ROMANCE Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra will help you fall in love … with music, at least, as guest conductor Vasily Petrenko and violinist Ray Chen take on what Stravinsky called “one of the most beautiful products of all French music.” Times vary. Fri., Feb. 14-Sun., Feb. 16. Heinz Hall, 600 Penn Ave., Downtown. $21-98. pittsburghsymphony.org

MAKE-IT-NOW: VALENTINES Still looking for a perfect gift for a partner, friend, or yourself? Give glassblowing a shot with a 15minute class where you can make a 3-D glass flower, glass love letter, or a heart-shaped pendant. 4:309:30 p.m. Feb., 14. Pittsburgh Glass Center, 5472 Penn Ave., East Liberty. $30-40. pittsburghglasscenter.org

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and chances are likely you’ll think Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre is worthy of beholding. Times vary. Fri., Feb. 14-Sun., Feb. 23. Benedum Center, 237 Seventh St., Downtown. $28-122. pbt.org

HIGH FIDELITY While today’s youth are tuning in to the premiere of Hulu’s remake, Gen X’ers can relive the original and watch John Cusack mope about his recent breakup on the big screen. 7 p.m. Fri., Feb. 14. The Rangos Giant Cinema at Carnegie Science Center, One Allegheny Ave., North Side. $7.95-9.95. carnegiesciencecenter.org

CANDY DISHES

“Whole People, All People.” metrocommunityhealthcenter.org

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How lucky are we to have so many great opportunities for makers? Here, you can create a glass dish to hold all of those candy hearts in these 15-minute glassblowing classes. Times vary. Sat., Feb. 15 and Sun., Feb. 16. Vessel Studio Glass, 117 S. 16th St., South Side. $50. vesselstudio.net

HE YEAR I SPENT away from Pittsburgh living in Northern Kentucky, newly single and mostly occupied by rewatching pressure cooker infomercials on Antenna TV, I met Bobby. He looked a lot like me — which wasn’t really my thing — especially since I was trying to build a fresh esh and different life. But he persisted on Grindr until I agreed to meet et him for a date on New Year’s Eve. I drove the 90 minutes to o Lexington, Ky. after work on Friday night. I arrived at his house and d knocked on the door. “Hey! I’m sorry. I’m just fixing my hair and letting ting the dog out! I’ll be right out!” His accent was cute. He opened the door again. He was very handsome: slim, well-dressed, sed, with thick black hair and pretty ty tattoos. But panicked. “I CAN’T T FIND MY DOG!” He closed the e door again. Behind me, I spotted d the shadow passing through the he street, car lights coming upon that hat shadow, and then heard the sound und of impact. The car screeched. So o did the dog. I knocked again. “Um. I think your dog just got hit by that car.” I pointed to the car, and Bobby obby started running after it. His dog had gotten stuck in the tire well of the car. We scooped her outt and carried her into the house. She he was bloody and scared, and I wasn’t ’t either of those things, but I did think, ink, “Oh, well, what kind of ancient omen en against love is this?” Bobby’s roommate and I cleaned eaned the dog’s fur. Bobby was audibly throwing wing up in the bathroom. When he came out, he looked at me and said, “We’re taking her to the vet. You can come with us.” For some reason, I agreed. For or three hours, we sat in mostly silence in the waiting room of the vet clinic. Bobby and his roommate fought with the receptionist about the payment. I stared at my phone and tried to make conversation, still on a first date in a vet’s office with a strange Kentucky hairstylist from Grindr and his lesbian roommate on a major holiday. Eventually, we drove back to the house. The clock struck midnight during the drive, and nobody spoke or acknowledged the changeover into the New Year. In the driveway, where this had all begun, Bobby asked me if I still wanted to go out to a bar. “Um.” I hesitated so that I could check to make sure I couldn’t leave, right then, and drive home to make last call. I couldn’t. “Yep! Sure do!” I laughed. We did kiss that night. And I spent the night. After a few weeks of traveling to and from Lexington, I started becoming used to the dynamics of sleeping in bed next to an injured dog. And the long drives there. And dating someone who looked kind of like me. It was the worst date I’ve ever been on in my life. But I guess nobody reads stories expecting a happy beginning. •

T WHAOF KINDIENT ANC EN OM ST N AGAI E IS LOV S? THI

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER FEB. 12-19, 2020

10 VALENTINE’S EVENTS, CONTINUED FROM PG. 8

VODKA PEPSI BY ANDREA LAURION

VISIONARY VALENTINE: DREAM BOARD & GAME NIGHT Vision boards are like love letters to yourself, a collage of pictures and inspirational quotes, as a reminder to keep on reaching for your goals. Imagine how creative yours will be when you make one while playing drinking games. 7-11 p.m. Sat., Feb. 15. The Glitter Box Theater, 460 Melwood Ave., Oakland. $25 for single tickets; $35 for two. theglitterboxtheater.com

“LOVE SPACE” Pittsburgh performer Dennis Garner has curated a “romantic concert,” featuring vocalists like former The Voice contestant Chris Jamison and a comedy set from the popular Drinking Partners podcast host Ed Bailey. 8 p.m. Sat., Feb. 15. Kelly Strayhorn Theater, 5941 Penn Ave., East Liberty. “Pay what makes you happy.” kelly-strayhorn.org

EXES AND OHS “Come cry your way through the night with us!” Drag queen Dixie Surewood hosts a night promising a little bit of something for everyone, whether you’re in love, lust, or “OVER IT!” 11:45 p.m.-2 a.m. Sat., Feb. 15. Blue Moon Bar, 5115 Butler St., Lawrenceville. Free.

VALE-WEEN HEARTS SLASHBACK PARTY TransPride Pittsburgh’s LGBTQfriendly Halloween and Valentine’s Day hybrid, where candy will be plentiful and costumes are encouraged, is sure to be a bloody good time. 7-10 p.m. Sun., Feb. 16. Persad Center, 5301 Butler St., Lawrenceville. 18+. $5. persadcenter.org

LOVE LETTERS IN THE SNOW The Smokin’ Bettis Burlesque Show and an all-star cast will be warming up February with a performance that is, of course, smokin’. 8 p.m. Sun., Feb. 16. Club Café, 56 S. 12th St., South Side. $10. clubcafelive.com •

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SHOULD HAVE KNOWN the date was going to go badly from his drink order: a vodka with Pepsi. That’s the type of drink teenagers mix together because it’s all they can get their hands on, not something a grown man over the age of 25 should be drinking in public, no less. Before we even met up, Vodka Pepsi texted me to see if we could change our meet-up location from Round Corner Cantina to Industry. Industry is not really my scene, but I thought maybe he was into beer and I said so when he ordered that disgusting combination. “Oh no,” he said. “I hate beer. But I looked online at the drink menu for Round Corner, everything was made with tequila, and I really hate tequila.” “Uh, they have a full bar,” I said, flummoxed at this rationale, as he took a big sip from his drink. Since we met on Tinder, I went into this knowing very little about Vodka Pepsi, and for the next 45 minutes, I learned so much. I learned that he used to play football in high school. I learned that his only regret from going to the San Diego Comic Con was that he didn’t cosplay. I learned that he used to be engaged. I learned that he used to have a YouTube channel but he got into so many fights with people that he got banned from YouTube. It was like being hit with a tidal wave of personal information. I don’t know what Vodka Pepsi learned about me, because he didn’t ask me a single question. I occasionally shoe-horned bits of my life around what he was saying, but he would bring the conversation back to himself again and again. It seemed the specifics of who I was as a person didn’t matter. I was a girl, I was breathing, and I was talking to him. That was apparently good enough. For some girls, shoe-horning themselves around a man’s life is good enough, but not for me. This would never work out. He insisted on walking me to my car, despite the fact that it was directly across the street. He asked for my number and I demurred. “Oh, just keep messaging me on Tinder,” I said. Before I could unlock my car door, he mumbled, “How about a goodnight kiss,” and proceeded to put his lips on mine, his tongue barging into my mouth like a wet dog. The vile taste of vodka and Pepsi lingered even after I pulled away. As a goodbye gift, he left some drool on my chin. It was a five minute drive from the bar to my house and in that time, Vodka Pepsi managed to send me a message that still creeps me out years later: “I hope the kiss was as good for you as it was for me.” As with his drink order, he was the only one who liked it. •

I WAS A GIRL, I WAS BREATHING, AND I WAS TALKING TO HIM. THAT WAS APPARENTLY GOOD ENOUGH.

Shortest story (date) ever ... We meet outside the restaurant, make introductions. Him: could you only order off the appetizer menu in case it doesn’t work out, I don’t want to drop a ton. Me: (silently) turns, walks away, takes selfies with the city skyline. — @AdvoGabby

TWEET US YOUR STORY! #PGHSWIPESRIGHT

TINDER, LOVE, AND COMEDY BY CHARDAÈ JONES

F IT’S THAT EASY to go out and find a soulmate as if you were shopping for shoes, then something has gone terribly wrong in my opinion. I guess it’s the hopeless romantic in me, but when I’m seated across from a stranger that I’ve chatted with for all of two days and this said guy is planning our future, I hear major alarms. It was all Cosmo magazine’s fault for my downloading Tinder. I had just moved back from surviving New York, and I figured I’d dip my toe in the dating pool. I’m attracted to people who are the opposite of me, and Ryan was just th that. He had gorgeous green eyes, nice hair, and seem a little together from seemed TH his profile. Unfortunately, THAT E FACT HE W his profi p le forgot to include C BOTTARRYING AS he ha had a kid, a suspended A L driver’s license for drinking AMSTE OF PEAC VODK ERDA H and driving, dri and sold bootleg IN HI A AROUM DVDs fo for a living. Unknowing SHOUS BACKPA ND those thin things beforehand, I decided L C to continue my dating roulette by A REDD’VE BEE K FLAG N meeting him at a bar in Oakland. . After meeting, we decided to wal walk around enjoying the unusu unusual sunny weather. The fact tthat he was carrying a bottle of Peach Amsterdam vodka ar around in his backpack should’ve been a red flag, but I went with it to get to conversation. We ended w walking around sipping spiked sweet swee tea that we made with reusable cups from CVS. We talked for two hours and he was a gentleman with lots of stories, but he also shared many nightmares. Our second date was a burger sspot near his house. He showed off said house, and it was di disaster. It was reminder that I could do better and that sealed the deal for me. It also shocked me when I found out that it was h his son’s birthday, and he was choosing to spend time with me instea instead. My spiked milkshake and turkey burger was the best part. Ryan, b being delusional, didn’t believe in colorism or understand why young women were waiting to have kids instead of having kids young. “When you get older you can’t do whatever you want. You’ll be old.” I don’t like to admit it, but I ghosted him him. After this encounter, I called my friends laughing to the point of tea tears and quickly dragged th d app iinto t th b il on my screen. This couldn’t be the Ti Tinder the garbage pail real life. When you stop looking and you’re just out here living your best life, love finds you. I slid in Evan’s DMs because he posted a status about having a bad day. A month later, I sold my Thrival Tickets and went to a gallery crawl to meet him. It was way too rainy for a gallery crawl and he was an hour late, but it was the greatest time. Conversation was easy, even when he went on alien rant. Sometimes all it starts with is the click of a button to find your forever person. •

The Annual Northside Mardi Gras Celebration is a 2 week long party (February 15th – 25th) featuring 35+ restaurants, pubs, and businesses offering live entertainment and New Orleans and other Pre-Lenten inspired food, drink & retail specials.

February b 25, 7PM

Allegheny Elks 400 Cedar Ave $12 at the door.

Sales! Music! Food! DRINKS! & MORE! pittsburghnorthside.com/mardigras PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER FEB. 12-19, 2020

Over 100 Vendors

ANTIQUES, COLLECTABLES & MORE a w Ope eek n 7 • 11 day a.m s .-6 p.

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PITTSBURGH NAACP CALLS FOR ALLEGHENY COUNTY JUDGE TO BE REMOVED FOLLOWING RACIST REMARKS Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Mark Tranquilli has been temporarily reassigned, but the Pittsburgh chapter of the NAACP wants more action taken.

JENSORENSEN

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER FEB. 12-19, 2020

.RESTAURANT REVIEW.

CON ALMA BY MAGGIE WEAVER MWEAVER@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

ON ALMA HAS THE feel of a

grungy, well-traveled club with a lively, chaotic energy that ﬁlls the bar as musicians and diners compete to be heard. With this kind of ambience, the Shadyside restaurant, cocktail bar, and venue on Ellsworth Avenue pays tribute to Pittsburgh’s musical past while exploring the relationship between food, drinks, and live music. The restaurant is a project of executive chef Josh Ross, general manager Aimee Marshall, and world-renowned guitarist John Shannon. Ross and Marshall teamed up with Shannon “to return jazz to its rightful place at the forefront of the local music scene, while providing patrons with some of the best food and drink the city has to offer.”

CON ALMA 5994 Ellsworth Ave., Shadyside. conalmapgh.com

Ross’ menu takes influence from South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean, creating a list of “innovative yet grounded” Latin-inspired fare. There’s macaroni pie from the Bahamas, traditional Peruvian ropa vieja, and Cuban lechon asado. A simple Jamaican beef patty was a highlight on a Latin jazz Sunday. Ross ramped up the humble, homey spices of a traditional hand-pie into something crisp and flaky, expertly engineered to avoid any seepage from the filling. A smoky, bright mojo rojo (tomato sauce) added a welcome vibrancy. On a Saturday, Neo Soul-backed visit, pulpos al ajillo (octopus) stole

CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

Blackened baby carrots at Con Alma

the show. The robust red garlic sauce proved a brilliant pairing for the light, perfectly cooked octopus. A piece of warm roti was an unexpected component that worked surprisingly well. For the Chinese-Peruvian fried rice dish arroz chaufa, Ross swapped the traditional hot dogs for pork belly, stir-frying the meat with vegetables, egg, and a blend of soy sauce, hot

peppers, and spices. It was, like many of Ross’ dishes, both casual and elevated. The only misstep I noted was the jackfruit enchiladas, topped with poblano mole, salsa roja, and Oaxacan cheese. Maybe it was just by comparison to all the other rich, ﬂavorful dishes, but these enchiladas felt a little ﬂat and muted. All the cocktails on the menu were

FAVORITE FEATURES: Sunday night Happy Hour

Back patio

Leona’s

Take Sunday-funday to Con Alma for the bar’s weekend happy hour, featuring a $6 cocktail and wines by the glass.

Behind its disco-esque lounge, Con Alma has a second, outdoor bar. (Don’t worry: It’s heated in the winter.)

Dessert might not be made in-house, but it is supplied by the wonderful team at Leona’s Ice Cream Sandwiches.

solid, though the refreshingly drinkable East of the Sun — tequila, yuzu, lemongrass, Thai basil, and ginger beer — was a quick favorite. And since there was no in-house dessert, I turned to a second cocktail made with hazelnut espresso vodka, Maggie’s Farm Rum coffee liqueur, demerara, and orange bitters for a sweet ﬁnish. Food and drink aside, it’s the focus on jazz and history that makes Con Alma stand out. The restaurant has live music every night, with lineups ranging from swing to jam sessions to classic jazz. Here, it’s the music that provides heart to the space, transforming it from just another Pittsburgh bar to an intimate, underground hideaway worth seeking out.

•

Follow staff writer Maggie Weaver on Twitter @magweav

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER FEB. 12-19, 2020

FRESH HANDMADE FOOD LOCAL CRAFT BEER DAILY SPECIALS

CRAFTYJACKALOPE.COM BRING IN THIS AD FOR OUR VALENTINE’S OFFER! PHOTO: DR. AMBER M. EPPS

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N DECEMBER, Pittsburgh beer organization Black Brew Culture was awarded a $130,350 grant to fund its project, Increasing the Participation of the Black Community in PA Craft Beer. Black Brew Culture, a partnership between founder Mike Potter and consultant Dr. Amber M. Epps, is one of 18 organizations and projects that received funds from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board to enhance the state’s beer industry. Over the course of 2020, Epps and Potter will use this grant to “increase the awareness, knowledge, and experience of Black people in craft beer.”

BLACK BREW CULTURE @blackbrewculture

Are you tired of tracking down food trucks? Don’t miss our Weekly Food Truck Schedule! Available every Tuesday at pghcitypaper.com 16

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This project was born out of necessity. After working with Black Brew Culture (a former online magazine founded by Potter) and Fresh Fest Beer Fest (the ﬁrst Black brew festival in Pittsburgh and the country), Epps saw the need for consistent programming dedicated to familiarizing Black people in Pittsburgh with craft beer. The duo saw an opportunity with the grant to “promote the fact that there [were] more ways than one for Black people to be part of the craft beer industry.” “We wanted to use this opportunity to get away from the discussion of diversity and inclusion and begin to focus on engagement, education, and entrepreneurship,” said Epps. “I mean, does diversity even matter if there is no

real equity, leverage, or ownership in the playing field?” The project, already active, will be broken down into parts that provide education and support for “drinkers, hop growers, and potential brewers in the Black communities.” Epps and Potter plan to hold food and beer pairings with Black-owned restaurants, organize tours and tastings with breweries, and facilitate partnerships between Hops On Lots — a project connecting communities and breweries through urban farming — and Black farmers and gardeners. The partners are working with Cicerone Certification Program to offer beer server training (similar to a sommelier for wine) to interested Black people. Other events will include education on home brewing, beer styles, trends, and craft beer careers. In addition to their first hop meeting, Epps and Potter have already hosted — and sold out — their first beer and food pairing at Casa Brasil in Highland Park. The duo has partnerships locked in for the future with Love Rocks Café, Roux Orleans, East End Brewing Company, and Butler Brew Works, among others. For Epps, the end goal of this project is simple. “When we walk into breweries or go to conferences and symposiums related to craft beer, we want to see more Black faces,” she says. “We hope that these experiences and opportunities equip people with some additional knowledge and skills to approach beer drinking differently than they may have in the past.”

•

.FOR THE WEEK OF FEB. 13

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY BY ROB BREZSNY // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Aquarian author Derek Walcott had a perspective on love that I suspect might come in handy for you during this Valentine season. “Break a vase,” he wrote, “and the love that reassembles the fragments is stronger than that love which took its symmetry for granted when it was whole.” I urge you to meditate on how you could apply his counsel to your own love story, Aquarius. How might you remake your closest alliances into even better and brighter versions of themselves?

famous Italian painter Amedeo Modigliani were in love with each other. Both were quite poor, though. They didn’t have much to spend on luxuries. In her memoir, Akhmatova recalled the time they went on a date in the rain at the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris. Barely protected under a rickety umbrella, they amused each other by reciting the verse of Paul Verlaine, a poet they both loved. Isn’t that romantic? In the coming weeks, I recommend you experiment with comparable approaches to cultivating love. Get back to raw basics. Happy Valentine Daze!

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):

Piscean poet Saul Williams wrote a meditation I hope you’ll consider experimenting with this Valentine season. It involves transforming mere kisses into SUBLIME KISSES. If you choose to be inspired by his thoughts, you’ll explore new sensations and meanings available through the act of joining your mouth to another’s. Ready? Here’s Saul: “Have you ever lost yourself in a kiss? I mean pure psychedelic inebriation. Not just lustful petting but transcendental metamorphosis, when you became aware that the greatness of this other being is breathing into you. Licking your mouth, like sealing a thousand fleshy envelopes filled with the essence of your passionate being, and then opened by the same mouth and delivered back to you, over and over again — the first kiss of the rest of your life.”

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Now that she’s in her late forties, Aries comedian and actress Tig Notaro is wiser about love. Her increased capacity for romantic happiness has developed in part because she’s been willing to change her attitudes. She says, “Instead of being someone who expects people to have all the strengths I think I need them to have, I resolved to try to become someone who focuses on the strengths they do have.” In accordance with this Valentine’s season’s astrological omens, Aries, I invite you to meditate on how you might cultivate more of that aptitude yourself.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Taurus artist Joan Miró loved to daub colored paint on canvases. He said he approached his work in the same way he made love: “a total embrace, without caution, prudence thrown to the winds, nothing held back.” In accordance with astrological omens, I invite you to invoke a similar attitude with all the important things you do in the coming weeks. Summon the ardor and artistry of a creative lover for all-purpose use. Happy Valentine Daze, Taurus!

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In 1910, Gemini businessman Irving Seery was 20 years old. One evening he traveled to the Metropolitan Opera in New York City to see an opera starring the gorgeous and electrifying soprano singer Maria Jeritza. He fell in love instantly. For the next thirty-eight years he remained a bachelor as he nursed his desire to marry her. His devotion finally paid off. Jeritza married Seery in 1948. Dear Gemini, in 2020, I think you will be capable of a heroic feat of love that resembles Seery’s. Which of your yearnings might evoke such intensely passionate dedication? Happy Valentine Daze!

CANCER (June 21-July 22): I’ve been married twice, both times to the same woman. Our first time around, we were less than perfectly wise in the arts of relationship. After our divorce and during the few years we weren’t together, we each ripened into more graceful versions of ourselves; we developed greater intimacy skills. Our second marriage has been far more successful. Is there a comparable possibility in your life, Cancerian? A chance to enhance your ability to build satisfying togetherness? An opening to learn practical lessons from past romantic mistakes? Now is a favorable time to capitalize. Happy Valentine Daze!

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In 1911, the famous Russian poet Anna Akhmatova and the

The 5th Judicial District of Pennsylvania and

[Warning: Poetry alert! If you prefer your horoscopes to be exclusively composed of practical, hyper-rational advice, stop reading now!] Happy Valentine Daze, Virgo! I hope there’s someone in your life to whom you can give a note like the one I’ll offer at the end of this oracle. If there’s not, I trust you will locate that person in the next six months. Feel free to alter the note as you see fit. Here it is. “When you and I are together, it’s as if we have been reborn into luckier lives; as if we can breathe deeper breaths that fill our bodies with richer sunlight; as if we see all of the world’s beauty that alone we were blind to; as if the secrets of our souls’ codes are no longer secret.”

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In the course of your life, how many people and animals have truly loved you? Three? Seven? More? I invite you to try this Valentine experiment: Write down their names on a piece of paper. Spend a few minutes visualizing the specific qualities in you that they cherished, and how they expressed their love, and how you felt as you received their caring attention. Then send out a beam of gratitude to each of them. Honor them with sublime appreciation for having treasured your unique beauty. Amazingly enough, Libra, doing this exercise will magnetize you to further outpourings of love in the coming weeks.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): [Warning: Poetry alert! If you prefer your horoscopes to be exclusively composed of practical, hyper-rational advice, stop reading now!] Happy Valentine Daze, Scorpio! I invite you to copy the following passage and offer it to a person who is receptive to deepening their connection with you. “Your healing eyes bless the winter jasmine flowers that the breeze blew into the misty creek. Your welcoming prayers celebrate the rhythmic light of the mud-loving cypress trees. Your fresh dreams replenish the eternal salt that nourishes our beloved song of songs. With your melodic breath, you pour all these notyet-remembered joys into my body.” (This lyrical message is a blend of my words with those of Scorpio poet Odysseus Elytis.)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The poet Virgil, a renowned author in ancient Rome, wrote three epic poems that are still in print today. His second was a masterpiece called the Georgics. It took him seven years to write, even though it was only 2,740 lines long. So on average he wrote a little over one line per day. I hope you’ll use him as inspiration as you toil over your own labors of love in the coming weeks and months. There’ll be no need to rush. In fact, the final outcomes will be better if you do them slowly. Be especially diligent and deliberate in all matters involving intimacy and collaboration and togetherness.

Allegheny County Pretrial Services urges you to enjoy your weekend out in Pittsburgh but

make the right choice,

don’t drink & drive.

LANDMARKS PRESERVATION RESOURCE CENTER A program of the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Founda Foundation tion 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.

THURSDAY, FEB 20 • 6PM-7:30PM • $15 non-members LECTURE: OAKLAND-ESCAPE FROM THE SMOKY CITY! PRESENTER: MARK HOUSER PITTSBURGH MAGAZINE From cow pasture to Pittsburgh’s would-be acropolis, the neighborhood of Oakland underwent a tumultuous transformation more than a century ago. Hear how developers in search of a bucolic retreat courted a once-scandalized heiress for the right to build on her land, and dig into the history of some of Oakland’s most iconic buildings, including a few no longer with us. ABOUT THE PRESENTER: Mark Houser is a frequent Pittsburgh Magazine contributor who writes and speaks about the Pittsburgh’s history. You can ﬁnd more stories at his website, HouserTalks.com.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): [Warning: Poetry alert! If you prefer your horoscopes to be exclusively composed of practical, hyper-rational advice, stop reading now!] Happy Valentine Daze, Capricorn! I invite you to copy the following passage and offer it to a person who is ready to explore a more deeply lyrical connection with you. “I yearn to earn the right to your whispered laugh, your confident caress, your inscrutable dance. Amused and curious, I wander where moon meets dawn, inhaling the sweet mist in quest of your questions. I study the joy that my imagination of you has awakened. All the maps are useless, and I like them that way. I’m guided by my nervous excitement to know you deeper. Onward toward the everfresh truth of your mysterious rhythms!”

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

THIS LECTURE IS FREE TO PHLF MEMBERS. NON-MEMBERS: $15 • RSVPS ARE APPRECIATED CONTACT MARY LU DENNY: MARYLU@PHLF.ORG OR 412-471-5808 EXT. 527 744 REBECCA AVENUE

WILKINSBURG, PA 15221

412-471-5808

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER FEB. 12-19, 2020

THE LOCAL 913: STONE THROWERS BY LIZ FELIX // LIZ@WYEP.ORG

The new song from Stone Throwers is funky. It also doesn’t waste any time. “Game” clocks in at just under two minutes, but you probably won’t need that long to start dancing. Stone Throwers don’t sound like a band that met up at a bluegrass jam night, but that’s how frontman Dave Didio says they came together. Didio had been writing songs ever since his house was broken into and (almost) everything of value was stolen. “Fortunately, they didn’t steal my guitar. I was living in this crappy studio apartment at the time and STAY UP-TOI would come home and there DATE WITH THIS would be nothing WEEK’S LOCAL for me to do MUSIC NEWS except play the guitar.” He also WITH CP MUSIC WRITER JORDAN tried his hand at performing, SNOWDEN where he met AND WYEP Simon Howard, his songwriting EVENING MIX partner in Stone HOST LIZ FELIX Throwers. Listen every Despite the Wednesday upbeat, funky, at 7 p.m. on soul vibe of 91.3FM WYEP “Game,” Didio says the song was written about his experience with anxiety created by a new relationship. He says it came from a place of frustration of “just like wanting to skip ahead past the games and the opaqueness and the uncertainty to get to a point of clarity.” But he adds, “Our philosophy is basically once we record something and release it, it doesn’t belong to us anymore. There might’ve been an original meaning from my personal experiences, but if someone tunes in and listens to this song and it resonates with them and it means something to them, then that’s what it’s about, right?” •

PHOTO: SMITHSONIAN AMERICAN ART MUSEUM

Can Fire in the Park by Beauford Delaney

.ART . .

AFRICAN AMERICAN ART IN THE 20TH CENTURY BY AMANDA WALTZ // AWALTZ@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

T’S BEST NOT TO rush through the pieces in African American Art in the 20th Century, a traveling Smithsonian exhibition opening at the Westmoreland Museum of American Art. “One of the important things is to give the pieces a little time,” says Smithsonian American Art Museum chief curator Virginia Mecklenburg, adding that certain essential details may not be obvious at ﬁrst glance. Doing so enables visitors to more deeply appreciate paintings like Evening Rendezvous by Norman Lewis, considered one of the few Black artists of the early Abstract Expressionist movement. Despite the painting’s romantic title and seemingly formless imagery, Mecklenburg points out that in the haze of the

murky greens and vibrant blues and reds is “a gathering of ﬁgures in white robes with pointed hats,” alluding to the disguises worn by the Ku Klux Klan. “If you don’t give it more than just a quick look, you won’t realize that there’s all of this embedded meaning there,” she says. Evening Rendezvous is one of 45 works, including paintings, sculptures, and prints, by 34 Black American artists. On view from the Feb. 15-March 10, the show spans from the 1930s through the 1990s, covering the Harlem Renaissance, World War II, the Civil Rights movement, and global forces that shaped the chosen artists. Mecklenburg believes African American Art in the 20th Century caters to people

AFRICAN AMERICAN ART IN THE 20TH CENTURY Sat., Feb. 15-Tue., March 10. Westmoreland Museum of American Art, 221 N. Main St., Greensburg. Free. thewestmoreland.org

who may not be able to travel to the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C., to experience the work of artists who have made major contributions to “who we are as a country, as a culture, as an art community.” Westmoreland chief curator Barbara L. Jones agrees, adding, “The art reﬂects the American experience through the eyes of these artists, and we are excited to offer our visitors the opportunity to learn more about them.” It also adds to the Westmoreland’s mission of spotlighting groups not traditionally highlighted by the whitedominated art world and examining how that affects how they’re perceived. This was evident in its spring 2019 show, Mingled Visions, another traveling exhibition that used photographs by Edward S. Curtis and Will Wilson to critically examine Native American representation in art. Mecklenburg says the show has a CONTINUES ON PG. 20

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER FEB. 12-19, 2020

AFRICAN AMERICAN ART IN THE 20TH CENTURY, CONTINUED FROM PG. 18

PHOTO: SMITHSONIAN AMERICAN ART MUSEUM

Detail of Moon Masque by Loïs Mailou Jones

mix of Black artists “universally recognized as major figures of 20th century art,” including Jacob Lawrence and Romare Bearden, as well as lesser known artists. Overall, she says, the selected artists often use personal experiences to address larger issues. She describes how the 1946 oil painting Can Fire in the Park, which depicts figures huddling around a contained blaze, came from its artist, Beauford Delaney, who had to spend the night in a park after being unfairly kicked out of a boarding house when he first moved to New York City. “He became sort of included with the other people in that park,” she says. “That says something about fundamental humanity [of] people, no matter who they are or what their situation is.” Some pieces touch on the more specific conflicts of identity and the yearning for connection among African Americans disenfranchised by racism, war, and other factors. Mecklenburg cites how a 1934 self-portrait by Harlem Renaissance artist Malvin Gray Johnson incorporates the imagery of African masks to present a more complex message. “It’s such a profound statement about Johnson and how he is thinking about himself — his identity as a Black man, what his relationship to Africa is, what it means to be a painter,” she says. “All of that is in this one, not terribly large rectangular canvas. It gives you a lot to think about.” She also points to Tambo, a 1993 sculpture by Melvin Edwards that

uses found objects welded together to memorialize Oliver Tambo, the former president of the African National Congress who helped to end apartheid in South Africa while in exile. While the show comes at a perfect time for Black History Month, Mecklenburg sees it more broadly as coming at a tumultuous political and social time in American and around the world.

“ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS IS TO GIVE THE PIECES A LITTLE TIME.” “This is a moment in our contemporary history where many people are trying to understand perspectives of other people,” says Mecklenburg. “It seems to me that this show was a great way to understand perspectives from recently, but also going back in time, and what [the artists] were thinking about, and what they wanted to capture in paint. [They] don’t paint accidentally, they paint intentionally, and they have something that they think is very important for themselves to express, but also for other people to think about.”

Follow senior writer Amanda Waltz on Twitter @AWaltzCP

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

•

.LITERATURE.

FEAR INTO FOCUS BY REGE BEHE CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

T 6 FEET TALL, 240 pounds during

his playing days, former Pittsburgh Steeler Arthur Moats is not easily intimidated. Known for his ferocity and physicality, his tackle of Brett Favre ended the famed quarterback’s streak of 297 consecutive games played in 2010. But in his book Theory of Life (Leadership League), Moats admits that when Steelers’ coach Mike Tomlin invited him to Pittsburgh on a one-year veteran’s minimum “prove it” deal in 2014, he was fearful. Was his career over? Should he move to Pittsburgh from Buffalo? “A lot of people have paralysis through analysis,” Moats says. “They think there’s no way this could be possible, there’s no way this could work out. … With that fear, with that overanalysis, it ultimately works as a blocking force in your life. When you use that fear and put it behind you and use it as a motivational tool, you can say, ‘I don’t care what anyone says. If I take this chance and it works, wow, look at what I’m able to accomplish.’” Moats confronted his fear, flourished in Pittsburgh, and was rewarded with a three-year contract after that first season. Since retiring in 2019, he’s focused on a lifelong passion: improving lives. Theory of Life presents Moats’ five-point plan for better living, based on the first letters of his last name: Make happiness a priority Openness yields strength Actively inspire others Turn fear into focus Smile, spread my inner love everywhere Moats’ approach stems from his childhood. Born and raised in the Tidewater region of Virginia, his parents, both ministers, instilled in him a sense of duty to others. He quickly acknowledges that was an ideal situation, and today, “not a lot of children grow up

Arthur Moats

with both of their parents together,” he says. “There are a lot of blended families, a lot of separated families and single parent households.” That’s why he insists it’s increasingly important for adults to reach out to children in these situations. “Whether it’s an uncle or other family member, it’s important to have someone who you are looking to for advice and direction,” Moats says. Throughout the book, Moats quotes leaders who have inspired him, including Hellen Keller, Rosa Parks, Booker T. Washington, Paulo Coelho, Dr. Joyce Brothers, Lao Tzu, but not a single athlete. However, Moats has never approached anything in his life with a typical view. And while each of the planks in M.O.A.T.S. is important, he’s especially committed to actively inspiring others. “A lot of people think you have to have a lot of money or be successful or have a lot of platforms to be inspirational,” Moats says. “But that’s not the case. Inspiration comes from you instilling a belief in somebody. It’s just you noticing what they are doing, telling them they’re doing a good job and to keep it up, or telling a kid, ‘I know you’re struggling right now, but we all go through this.’ It costs you nothing. I think when people understand [how simple it is] they’ll be more active in their inspirational roles.”

•

Follow featured contributor Rege Behe on Twitter @RegeBehe_exPTR

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18 • 6-8PM • $15 non-members LECTURE: THE TRANSFORMATION OF CIVIL ENGINEERING FROM A CRAFT TO A PROFESSION For our inaugural February lecture, we will answer one of the most common questions: “How many bridges are there in Pittsburgh?” We will discuss the complexities of what an engineer deﬁnes as a bridge, versus what a non-engineer may consider a bridge, and we will see if we can build a consensus to arrive at the ﬁnal count. We look forward to taking additional questions to explore in upcoming presentations.

THIS LECTURE IS FREE TO PHLF MEMBERS. NON-MEMBERS: $15 • RSVPS ARE APPRECIATED CONTACT MARY LU DENNY: MARYLU@PHLF.ORG OR 412-471-5808 EXT. 527 744 REBECCA AVENUE

WILKINSBURG, PA 15221

412-471-5808

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER FEB. 12-19, 2020

.MUSIC.

FAMILY TIES BY JORDAN SNOWDEN // JSNOWDEN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

WO SONGS STICK out when scrolling through the tracklist of Benny

Benack III’s sophomore album, A Lot of Livin’ to Do: “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” and “It’s You I Like.” The tracks, both covers of songs from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, pay homage to Benack’s hometown of Pittsburgh. The jazz trumpeter and vocalist’s musical roots date back generations — he is the third Benny Benack, following his father and grandfather, to pursue a jazz career. “There’s other songs that have influence from other prominent Pittsburgh musicians, like some of the instrumental songs are inspired by Pittsburgh [jazz drummer] Art Blakey,” says Benack, “Some of the original compositions, like ‘Irrepressible,’ take inspiration from Pittsburgh composer BENNY BENACK III Henry Mancini.” ALBUM RELEASE SHOW Benack now lives in New York 7 p.m. Wed., Feb. 19. City, but with so many influences City of Asylum @ Alphabet City, coming from the ’Burgh, it only 40 W. North Ave., North Side. Free. (Sold out; call 412-435-1110 made sense for him to start his tour for wait list.) alphabetcity.org for A Lot of Livin’ to Do with an album release show at City of Asylum. It will be the first time Benack has ever played at the venue. “It’s developed this reputation nationally as this really great concert place,” says Benack. “And the opportunity to present the album in that space, [it’s] perfect. … Over the years, every time I’ve come home to perform, there’s been this wonderful audience of family and friends and people that have watched me literally grow up. People that have been watching me play since I was eight years old. Pittsburgh for me will always be home and the place where I will feel the most love in the room. I knew that I wanted to come back and celebrate this album in [Pittsburgh].” CONTINUES ON PG. 24

Benny Benack III

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER FEB. 12-19, 2020

FAMILY TIES, CONTINUED FROM PG. 22

almost every night of the week.

Ahead of Benack’s visit home, Pittsburgh City Paper chatted with him about the new album and Pittsburgh’s jazz scene. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Read it in full at pghcitypaper.com BOTH YOUR FATHER AND YOUR GRANDFATHER WERE IN THE PITTSBURGH JAZZ SCENE GROWING UP. DID YOU EVER FEEL PRESSURE TO BECOME A JAZZ MUSICIAN? My parents never pressured me. I never had crazy stage parents; they were very supportive. But I didn’t really need a lot of pushing in that direction. As long as I can remember, performing, and speciﬁcally jazz music, was the only thing that I wanted to do with my life, the only music that I wanted to listen to. I think it would have been a different situation if my parents had pressured me not to be a musician. Even from the time I was seven or eight years old, I was already performing with my parents at shows. I had my mind made up when I was really young, they didn’t have to do much. BESIDES YOUR FAMILY, HOW DO YOU FEEL THE PITTSBURGH JAZZ SCENE HAD AN INFLUENCE ON YOU?

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

I tell people all around the world how lucky I was to grow up in Pittsburgh. I live in New York City now, but outside of New York, there’s not that many cities that can support a jazz community the way that Pittsburgh does, where there’s

dozens of great musicians just making a living playing exclusively in and around Pittsburgh. There’s always been great places to play — the number of clubs goes up and down over the years — but there’s always somewhere to play

Follow staff writer Jordan Snowden on Twitter @snowden_jordan

IT’S BEEN ABOUT THREE YEARS SINCE YOUR DEBUT ALBUM, ONE OF A KIND, CAME OUT. HOW DO YOU FEEL THINGS HAVE CHANGED FOR YOU SINCE THEN, AND HOW DID THAT AFFECT YOUR NEW ALBUM? I feel like the first album kick-started my career as a solo artist. Before that album, I was playing a lot as a supportive player in other people’s bands. So, the first album was my first statement where I said I’m a bandleader, I’m a solo artist. The time in between was really one big tour. It was ongoing traveling and seeing the world, which was always one of my dreams. The focus with this new album, the reason that it’s called A Lot of Livin’ to Do, [on] the cover art I have this big gesture and I’m smiling, and I think a lot of the music reflects that. On my first album, One of a Kind, I was going for a much darker ... moody, sometime-aftermidnight, more typical jazz figure. The music reflected that, but for this album I wanted it to reflect where I am in my life, where I am in my career, and my personality. I really wanted it to come through and wanted people to feel how much fun and joy I have when playing this music.

•

ISS

M ER V E N

CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

.MUSIC.

VENUE GUIDE: CITY OF ASYLUM @ ALPHABET CITY BY JORDAN SNOWDEN // JSNOWDEN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

IFTEEN YEARS AGO, founders of the nonproﬁt City of Asylum, Diane Samuels and Henry Reese, opened their loft to writers, musicians, and artists for small, salonstyle events. Pushing the furniture out of the way, they would bring in folding chairs, food, and wine and allow anyone to come into their home to enjoy the festivities. Now, at 40 West North Ave. in the North Side, the location is a bigger, better replicate of those initial days inside Samuels and Reese’s home — an accessible space for everyone. City of Asylum is three different entities — a bookstore, a lounge, and a restaurant (Brugge on North) — that prides itself on bringing people of different backgrounds together. The book store represents their mission to serve and represent marginalized voices, and letters on the ceiling titles and front glass walls are characters from various alphabets around the world. It’s “where Pittsburgh meets the world, and the world meets Pittsburgh.”

CITY OF ASYLUM

40 West North Ave., North Side. cityofasylum.org

Food & Beverage • City of Asylum is attached to restaurant, Brugge

See the full venue guide at pghcitypaper.com

on North (part of a local chain) • Brugge on North hours overlap with City of Asylum’s • When Brugge is open, patrons can purchase

beverages and bring into City of Asylum’s show area • Food cannot be brought into the show area • (Since Brugge is connected to City of Asylum, patrons can sit on restaurant side and eat while enjoying entertainment in the show area) • Check out menu at pointbrugge.com/brugge-on-north • Cash, credit, and debit are accepted at Brugge • Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages available • Mid-range prices (i.e. a glass of wine is about $10) • Brugge closed on Mondays • If there is a show on that day, a satellite bar with wine and beer is often available

Age Restrictions • Family friendly and all ages, with parent discretion • Because City of Asylum is about freedom of

speech, they will not censor a performer (many times content warning will not be put on site)

Accessibility • ADA compliant • No steps to enter venue, there’s a ramp and a

button to open door

Ticketing • All events are free, but patrons should RSVP online

Uber or Lyft • Walkable to those living in the North Side

Fun Facts • Is it Alphabet City or City of Asylum? Alphabet

City is the name of the building, and City of Asylum is the organization that lives inside • The bookstore has the largest collection of translated works in Pittsburgh • The bookshelves are on tracks and collapse into the back of the building for events • City of Asylum is the U.S. headquarters of the International Cities of Refuge Network and is the largest sanctuary program in the U.S. • More than 180 events are hosted each year in the space

RY! O T AS

TH BO D AN NS,E M LU G CO VERA , S IE CO TOREWS S N AL TICIONAL I L PO AT ES, ND N N I L A EADOCAL H L CP TOP K TH E WEE I EW H AG OF T R E Y OV DA C C ERY I S MU EV AL S FOR N O ATI ATION N D AN END AL OMM C LO REC ERT NC O C ING UR T A E K, F S N I DR IEW ND T REV A D N FOOAURA L A ST LOCLY RE N I T EK BES WE E TH AL UR T L CU ND URGH A , B E NC PITTS A D UT M, FIL UGHO , E R O ATUT THR R E M LIT NMEN CO . , T R I E AR A PAP AL TERT Y U T S N I E VI HC

R OU R O F UP N SIG

PG AT Y A TOD S R TTE E L S NEW

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER FEB. 12-19, 2020

SEVEN DAYS OF CONCERTS OVERDOSE REVERSAL TRAINING / ACOUSTIC SHOW FRI., FEB. 14 Whether or not you are close to someone who uses opioids, it is an epidemic that touches thousands of lives, especially in Pennsylvania, which had the third-highest rate for drug overdoses in the country in 2017. This Valentine’s Day, John Warmb of Pittsburgh DIY punk rock band Rent Strike, is hoping to break the stigma with overdose reversal training and accompanying concert at The Mr. Roboto Project. After a one-hour training session with overdose reversal drug Narcan (aka naloxone) provided by Prevention Point, attendees can make cheesy cards and eat heart-shaped cookies while reveling in performances by Zeca Gonzalez, Justin Arena, Mary Wander, and Rent Strike (solo). 7 p.m. 5106 Penn Ave., Bloomfield. $5-10 suggested donation. facebook.com/robotoproject PHOTO: CARISSA JOHNSON

Justin Arena

FULL LIST ONLINE pghcitypaper.com

THURSDAY FEB. 13

FRIDAY FEB. 14

JAZZ

ALTERNATIVE/INDIE

SOULIVE. Roxian Theatre. 8 p.m. McKees Rocks.

DOPAMINE, PALM BODIES, CLAY COAST. Mr. Smalls Theatre. 6:30 p.m. Millvale.

ROGER HUMPHRIES. Con Alma. 8 p.m. Shadyside. THOTH TRIO. Kingfly Sprits. 7 p.m. Strip District.

THE CEILING STARES, BENEFITS, HOLOTYPES. Hambone’s. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville.

POP

ERIN MCKEOWN. Club Cafe. 7 p.m. South Side.

LOWER DENS. Mr. Smalls Theatre. 7 p.m. Millvale.

JAZZ

METAL EXIST, MONOTHEIST. The Smiling Moose. 6 p.m. South Side.

ACOUSTIC

THE CLINT HOOVER TRIO. Bier’s Pub. 6:30 p.m. North Side. JESSICA LEE AND MARK STRICKLAND. Riverstone Books. 7:30 p.m. North Hills.

VALENTINE’S ROMANCE. Pittsburgh Symphony Association. 8 p.m. Downtown.

METAL

BEAUTY SLAP. Brillobox. 9 p.m. Bloomfield.

STEEL CITY CRUE. Crafthouse Stage & Grill. 9 p.m. Whitehall.

R&B/SOUL

ELECTRONIC ERYN EVANS, CHAOTICSTYLE, CYPHER. Remedy. 10 p.m. Lawrenceville.

LITTLE ANTHONY AND THE IMPERIALS. The Palace Theatre. 3 p.m. Greensburg.

ROCK

WALTER WILDE. The Green Room. 9 p.m. Mount Oliver.

YARO AND THE STATIC (ALBUM RELEASE). Mr. Smalls Theatre. 7 p.m. Millvale.

R&B/SOUL

BLUEBIRD & THE MESSAGE. Moondog’s. 8 p.m. Blawnox.

DURAND JONES & THE INDICATIONS. Spirit. 7 p.m. Lawrenceville.

DARYL SHAWN. Mansions on Fifth. 5:30 p.m. Shadyside.

THE BLUE STONES. Thunderbird Café & Music Hall. 7 p.m. Lawrenceville.

DJ MARY MACK, DJ SAUCE QUEEN. Thunderbird Café & Music Hall. 9 p.m. Lawrenceville.

COUNTRY

CLASSICAL

REGGAE

JIMMIE ALLEN (ALBUM RELEASE). Tequila Cowboy. 7 p.m. North Side.

CHATHAM BAROQUE. Westminster Presbyterian Church. 7:30 p.m. Upper St. Clair.

THE ARK BAND. Hard Rock Cafe. 9 p.m. South Side.

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

JAZZ

TAMI LEE HUGHES. Hillman Center for Performing Arts. 7:30 p.m. Fox Chapel.

SATURDAY FEB. 15

ROCK

CLASSICAL

MATT STELL. Jergel’s Rhythm Grille. 8 p.m. Warrendale.

QUEENSRŸCHE. Roxian Theatre. 8 p.m. McKees Rocks.

PAUL MAC N’AT. Over Eden. 6 p.m. Lawrenceville.

ZOSO. Stage AE. 7 p.m. North Side.

COUNTRY

LOCKS AND DAMS. The Park House. 9 p.m. North Side. THE EARLY THIRTIES (ALBUM RELEASE). Gooski’s. 9 p.m. Polish Hill. STONE COLD KILLERS (SINGLE RELEASE). Cattivo. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville. EMILY WOLFE. The Smiling Moose. 6:30 p.m. South Side.

WESTMORELAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA. The Palace Theatre. 7:30 p.m. Greensburg.

BLUEGRASS SIERRA HULL. Carnegie Lecture Hall. 7:30 p.m. Oakland. SWEATY ALREADY STRING BAND. Bier’s Pub. 6:30 p.m. North Side.

ALTERNATIVE/INDIE SPISH. Thunderbird Café & Music Hall. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville.

ELECTRONIC ELENA COLOMBI. Hot Mass. 12 a.m. Downtown.

THE RED BEANS & RICE COMBO. Max’s Allegheny Tavern. 8 p.m. North Side. STILL DREAMING. August Wilson African American Cultural Center. 8 p.m. Downtown. ANITA LEVELS, CHANTAL JOSEPH. Kelly Strayhorn Theater. 8 p.m. East Liberty.

COUNTRY THE CADILLAC THREE. Mr. Smalls Theatre. 8 p.m. Millvale.

SKA THE ABRUPTORS, KMAN AND THE 45S. Howlers. 8:30 p.m. Bloomfield.

RHYME, LIVEFROMTHECITY. Club Cafe. 10 p.m. South Side.

SUNDAY FEB. 16

FOLK

BENEFIT

CHRISTOPHER PAUL STELLING. Club Cafe. 6 p.m. South Side.

ROCK FOR BROOKS JAM SESSION. Moondog’s. 2 p.m. Blawnox.

HIP HOP/RAP

PHOTO: JAKESHIMABUKURO.COM

Jake Shimabukuro

JAKE SHIMABUKURO MON., FEB. 17 Jake Shimabukuro hasn’t stopped playing the ukulele since his mother taught him to strum at age four. In 2006, Shimabukuro was one of the first people to go “viral” on the newly created platform YouTube, when a video of him playing “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” in Central Park was posted to the site without his knowledge. From covers to original tunes like “When the Masks Come Down,” Shimabukuro modernizes the Hawaiian instrument in fresh and unexpected ways. 8 p.m. The Oaks Theater, 310 Allegheny River Blvd., Oakmont. $29-59. theoakstheater.com

SOUL THE SPINNERS. The Palace Theatre. 3 p.m. Greensburg.

CLASSICAL PITTSBURGH CIVIC ORCHESTRA, ALEJANDRO PINZON. St. Bernard Catholic Church. 4 p.m. Mt. Lebanon.

ALTERNATIVE/INDIE JE SUIS FRANCE, RAVE AMI, LATE. The Government Center. 7 p.m. North Side.

POP SAINT MOTEL. Roxian Theatre. 8 p.m. McKees Rocks.

R&B/HIP HOP BOYZ II MEN. Rivers Casino. 7 p.m. North Side.

MONDAY FEB. 17 CLASSICAL INCIDENTAL CHAMBER PLAYERS. First Unitarian Church. 7 p.m. Shadyside.

JAZZ HOWIE ALEXANDER TRIO. Con Alma. 5 p.m. Shadyside.

TUESDAY FEB. 18 JAZZ THE BLEND HOUSE BAND. Blend Bar. 8 p.m. Downtown.

THE BLUE-HOTS. Backstage Bar. 5 p.m. Downtown.

WEDNESDAY FEB. 19 JAZZ ROGER BARBOUR QUARTET. Rivers Club. 5:30 p.m. Downtown.

ELECTRONIC EXCISION. Stage AE. 7 p.m. North Side.

ROCK TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND. UPMC Events Center. 7:30 p.m. Moon. VRSTY. The Smiling Moose. 7 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 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER FEB. 12-19, 2020

WANNA CATCH THE ORIGINAL? You’re in luck! Turn to page 8.

PHOTO: PHILLIP CARUSO/HULU

.FILM.

HIGH FIDELITY 2.0 BY HANNAH LYNN // HLYNN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

IFE IS COMPLICATED, your 20s are full of growing pains, and New York City is always changing (but always the same). This describes half of all TV shows, including High Fidelity, Hulu’s latest original series, and a reboot of the 2000 film of the same name, which is based on a book by Nick Hornby. In this iteration, Rob (Zoe Kravitz, finally in a lead role), owner of a barely profitable record store in quickly gentrifying Crown Heights, Brooklyn, is still recovering from a big, fat breakup with a fiancé one year after the fact. She can’t get over the pain of the heartbreak, especially when her ex moves back to town with a new fiancée. But more significantly, she’s desperate to know why all her breakups hurt her so bad, even the boyfriend she had for three days in middle school. So, Rob embarks on a quest to contact her exes and ask what is wrong with her. There’s the eternally mediocre stand-up comedian, the cool-girl Instagram influencer, the aforementioned fiancé, and her friend/ employee Simon (David Holmes), who

came out while they were dating. (It’s worth noting that I have not seen the John Cusack movie nor read the book, so whether it stays true to either is irrelevant to me.) When she’s not drinking and smoking alone in her apartment, or walking and smoking in her signature leather trench coat, Rob is usually at the record store, where customers are sporadic. Rob, Simon, and emphatic employee/friend Cherise (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) treat the record store like a clubhouse, playing whatever songs they want as loud as they want. They’re often rude to customers in the name of taste, like when a customer asks for a Michael Jackson record. Cherise doesn’t want to sell it, because, you know, Michael Jackson. Simon argues that it’s impossible to only like artists who are good people. The customer keeps butting in with the word “alleged” and Rob initially sides with Cherise before giving in for the sake of money. While the show is rooted in ﬁnding/ losing romance, its most interesting bits

come from considering the relationship between art and being a “good” person. Rob is not bad beyond repair, but she is a self-absorbed, narcissistic, impulsive person who often says she’s going to the bathroom in the middle of a meal and then just leaves. When looking back at failed relationships, she often realizes she was actually the one who did the breaking up.

HIGH FIDELITY streams on Hulu starting Fri., Feb. 14.

One of the show’s best episodes begins with Rob and friends shooting the shit in the record store by discussing their favorite movie villains. Simon posits that “there’s no such thing as a great villain with whom you don’t on some level identify.” In the middle of the discussion, Rob gets a call from a rich, eccentric artist named Noreen (a pitchperfect Parker Posey), who wants to sell

Follow staff writer Hannah Lynn on Twitter @hanfranny

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

her cheating ex-husband’s extremely valuable record collection for very cheap (for revenge). Rob feels uneasy, so she goes to spy on the ex-husband just to verify that he is indeed very shitty. But when she goes back to pick up the records from Noreen, she can’t go through with it, knowing this guy cares about his records as much as she cares about hers. She thinks he deserves to love music even though his personality truly sucks. “Why did I side with the bad guy?” she asks on the way home. High Fidelity is an imperfect show; it can be too cutesy and too focused on trying to curate its cool-but-messy-girl image. It sometimes feels dated in odd ways (like when Rob doesn’t know what a blue check mark on Instagram means). The jokes sometimes feel too obvious and the stakes too low. But aside from being a fun, likeable show, High Fidelity takes on the often difﬁcult task of examining what it means to be a bad person, and when, and how much, that makes someone less deserving of love.

•

.STAGE.

A MERMAN MYSTERY BY AMANDA WALTZ AWALTZ@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

T’S LONELY BEING an arts and entertainment writer, which is why we sometimes drag our loved ones to the shows we cover. In this case, my husband, Ian, accompanied me to The Book of Merman, CLO Cabaret’s production of the Ethel Merman-infused parody of The Book of Mormon, now playing at Greer Cabaret Theater. But right before the show it dawned on me — my husband has zero familiarity with Ethel Merman or The Book of Mormon. Surely those obstacles would not detract from his enjoyment of it? Good thing he was willing to be interviewed about his experience.

SO BOOK OF MERMAN … So it’s not about mermaids who are men? IT’S ABOUT ETHEL MERMAN. Who’s Ethel Merman? SHE WAS THIS GREAT, FAMOUS BROADWAY STAGE ACTRESS WHO WAS KNOWN FOR HER BIG, BRASSY VOICE AND PERSONALITY. So why did these Mormons go to her house? IN THE MUSICAL THE BOOK OF MORMON, THE WHOLE IDEA IS THAT THESE MORMON MISSIONARIES GO TO UGANDA. THE ENTIRE CONCEIT OF THE SHOW IS THAT, INSTEAD OF GOING TO UGANDA, THEY GO DOOR-TO-DOOR AND EVENTUALLY END UP AT ETHEL MERMAN’S HOUSE … So why did they go to Ethel Merman’s house? Is that what happens in The Book of Mormon? NO! IT’S NOT WHAT HAPPENS IN THE BOOK OF MORMON! WATCHING THE SHOW, DO YOU AT LEAST UNDERSTAND THAT ETHEL MERMAN WAS AN ENTERTAINER? Yes.

PHOTO: MATT POLK

THE BOOK OF MERMAN

The Book of Merman

Continues through Sun., March 8. Greer Cabaret Theater, 655 Penn Ave., Downtown. Ticket prices vary. pittsburghclo.org/cabaret

BECAUSE IT’S A PUN. BECAUSE INSTEAD OF THE BOOK OF MORMON, IT’S THE BOOK OF MERMAN. GET IT? So someone came up with a pun and then was like, “We should make a show off of this pun?” I cannot believe that someone pitched that to someone, and they said, “OK.” It’s like a Twitter joke that someone made into a musical that I then got to watch for free and be confused during.

with considerably more knowledge of musical theater than I have. There’s a very high barrier for entry. You need to know a lot to understand anything that’s happening. That’s why I aptly described it, as we walked into the show, like it’s going to see Avengers: Endgame without ever having seen any of the other Marvel superhero movies, which I think would have been a totally weird experience because you would have absolutely no idea what was going on and wouldn’t understand any of the stakes or any of the relationships at all. … This is like that except nerdier and older. Maybe I’m wrong, but I kind of feel like a good show should be able to entertain a non-informed audience in certain capacities as well. Maybe that’s not a fair thing to say.

Maybe Ethel Merman, deﬁnitely not The Book of Mormon. LET’S JUST SAY THIS — WAS IT OBVIOUS THAT THIS SHOW WAS WRITTEN FOR AN OLDER CROWD? It was deﬁnitely written for people

TO YOUR BEST JUDGMENT, DO YOU THINK THAT THIS WOULD AT LEAST APPEAL TO FANS OF MUSICAL THEATER, TO FANS OF THE BOOK OF MORMON, TO FANS OF ETHEL MERMAN? I think if you are above a certain age and you have seen The Book of Mormon and you know very well who Ethel Merman is, and you haven’t seen anything else funny in the last ten to ﬁfteen years, you would probably like this.

•

SO WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE MUSICAL NUMBERS? They were bad! How many of them were from The Book of Mormon and how many of them were from Ethel Merman? I DON’T KNOW IF ANY OF THEM WERE ACTUALLY FROM THE BOOK OF MORMON. I KNOW SOME OF THEM, LIKE “ANYTHING YOU CAN DO” … I know that one! That came on and it was like “Free Bird” started playing. I was like, “I know that!”

DO YOU AT LEAST UNDERSTAND THAT BOOK OF MORMON WAS A BROADWAY SHOW ABOUT TWO MORMON MISSIONARIES … Yes.

WHAT WAS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE PART OF THE SHOW? The rap. I sunk down in my chair and hoped no one I knew was there watching me, because it was a shame. It’s like, “Oh, it will be funny if we have this old Broadway star and these Mormons do a rap song,” which, I don’t know, the lyrics may have been funny. I don’t know if they were because I couldn’t hear most of the show.

… AND THAT THOSE TWO THINGS COMBINED? That’s what I don’t understand. Because why did that happen?

DOES THIS MAKE YOU WANT TO EXPLORE ETHEL MERMAN’S WORK? DOES IT MAKE YOU WANT TO EXPLORE BOOK OF MORMON? PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER FEB. 12-19, 2020

.ART.

HOME RUN BY JOSH OSWALD JOSWALD@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

O CELEBRATE the 100th anniversary

of Negro League Baseball, the City-County Building is featuring an exhibit highlighting the notable players, owners, and managers of both the Pittsburgh Crawfords and Homestead Grays through photos, artifacts, and memorabilia. Pittsburgh was a hotbed of Negro League Baseball talent. The Grays are the only team in the sport’s history to win nine consecutive league titles (1937 to 1945) and two World Championships. The 1935 Pittsburgh Crawfords — dubbed the “Yankees of the Negro Leagues” — are considered one of the greatest baseball teams of all time and the team featured ﬁve Hall-of-Famers with Josh Gibson, Oscar Charleston, Cool Papa Bell, Judy Johnson, and Satchel Paige.

CP PHOTO: MEGAN GLOECKLER

Pittsburgh’s Negro League Baseball teams are celebrated in the City-County Building during Black History Month.

And while the playing talent of these two teams is indisputable, so is the impact the teams had on the Pittsburgh community. Gus Greenlee, who owned the Pittsburgh Crawfords, put much of his money back into Pittsburgh, ﬁnancing homes for Black residents who would

PITTSBURGH NEGRO LEAGUE: HALL OF FAME Continues through Fri., Feb. 28. City-County Building, 414 Grant St., Downtown. Free. pittsburghpa.gov/events

indefinitely be denied by white banks. He is also responsible for building the first Black-owned major league baseball field in the United States — Greenlee field on Bedford Avenue between Chauncey and Duff in the Hill District. Cumberland Posey, native of Homestead, who owned, played, and managed the Homestead Grays, wrote for the Pittsburgh Courier and was called the “smartest man in Negro baseball and certainly the most successful.”

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The exhibit helps viewers dig deeper into the history of Pittsburgh Negro League powerhouses and be transported to a time and place that is too often forgotten in local sports lore. It features photos taken by Teenie Harris (who also played for the Crawfords), reproductions of portraits by Graig Kreindler, and the continuous screening of the awardwinning documentary Kings on the Hill: Baseball’s Forgotten Men by Dr. Rob Ruck of the University of Pittsburgh.

•

Sponsored by

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

WED., FEB. 26TH. PATTERNIST 6 P.M. SMILING MOOSE, SOUTH SIDE. All Ages. $10. 412-431-4668 or ticketfly.com.

WED., FEB. 26TH. CATS 7:30 P.M. BENEDUM CENTER, DOWNTOWN. All Ages. $84-$180. 412-456-6666 or trustarts.org.

WED., FEB. 26TH. WALLOWS 8 P.M. MR. SMALLS THEATRE, MILLVALE. All Ages. $27. 412-421-4447 or mrsmalls.com.

WED., FEB. 26TH. ANA POPOVIC

JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE, WEXFORD.

6 P.M. JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE, WEXFORD. Under 21 w/ Guardian. $18-$30. 724-799-8333 or ticketfly.com.

FRI., FEB. 28. THE DIRT WITH MATT LIGHT

WED., FEB. 26TH. CHIPPENDALES

8 P.M. PITTBURGH IMPROV, HOMESTEAD. 21+ Event. $5-$55. 412-462-5233 or improv.com/pittsburgh

8 P.M. ROXIAN THEATRE, MCKEES ROCKS. Ages 18+. $68-$101. 412-331-1050 or roxianlive.com.

FRI., FEB. 28. EMILY SCOTT ROBINSON

5:30 P.M. SMILING MOOSE, SOUTH SIDE. All Ages. $13. 412-431-4668 or ticketfly.com.

8 P.M. CLUB CAFÉ, SOUTH SIDE. 21+ Event. $12. 412-431-4950 or ticketweb.com/opusone.

SUN., MAR. 1ST. WAYFINDING WITH MOANA + SPECIAL GUEST MICKEY

THU., FEB. 27TH. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK W/ PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY 7 P.M. HEINZ HALL, DOWNTOWN. All Ages. $179-$220. 412-456-6666 or trustarts.org.

THU., FEB. 27TH. DISNEY ON ICE PRESENTS ROAD TRIP ADVENTURES 7 P.M. PPG PAINTS ARENA, UPTOWN. All Ages. $15-$150. 412-642-1800 or ticketmaster.com.

THU., FEB. 27TH. BILLY GILMAN 6 P.M. CRAFTHOUSE STAGE & GRILL, SOUTH HILLS. Ages 21+. $30-$117.50. 412-653-2695 or ticketfly.com.

THU., FEB. 27TH. ERIC PASLAY 6 P.M. JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE, WEXFORD. Under 21 w/ Guardian. $22-$35. 724-799-8333 or ticketfly.com.

FRI., FEB. 28. SOCIAL JUSTICE DISCO 2020 7 P.M. MR. SMALLS THEATRE, MILLVALE. All Ages. $10. 412-421-4447 or mrsmalls.com.

SAT., FEB. 29TH. SPACE JESUS 8 P.M. ROXIAN THEATRE, MCKEES ROCKS. 18+ Event. $40. 412-331-1050 or roxianlive.com.

SAT., FEB. 29TH. GATOR SHAKES W/ SPECIAL GUESTS 8 P.M. THE FUNHOUSE AT MR. SMALLS, MILLVALE. All Ages. $10. 412-421-4447 or mrsmalls.com.

SAT., FEB. 29TH. RJD2 W/ CHALK DINOSAUR, BUSCRATES

8 P.M. MR. SMALLS THEATRE, MILLVALE. All Ages. $20. 412-421-4447 or mrsmalls.com.

SUN., MAR. 1ST. VALE OF PNATH

6 P.M. PPG PAINTS ARENA, UPTOWN. All Ages. $60. 412-642-1800 or ticketmaster.com.

TUE., MAR. 3RD. PHANGS 6 P.M. SMILING MOOSE, SOUTH SIDE. All Ages. $12. 412-431-4668 or ticketfly.com.

TUE., MAR. 3RD. RADICAL FACE 8 P.M. REX THEATER, SOUTH SIDE. All Ages. $22-$25. 412-642-1800 or ticketmaster.com.

TUE., MAR. 3RD. BAY FACTION 8 P.M. MR. SMALLS THEATRE, MILLVALE. All Ages. $12. 412-421-4447 or mrsmalls.com.

TUE., MAR. 3RD. TUESDAY NIGHT TRAIL RUNS 6 P.M. FRICK PARK, OAKLAND. All Ages. Free. 412-871-5038 or 3riversoutdoor.com

FOR UPCOMING ALLEGHENY COUNTY PARKS EVENTS, LOG ONTO WWW.ALLEGHENYPARKS.COM PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER FEB. 12-19, 2020

SEVEN DAYS OF ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT

^ Sat., Feb. 15: Jasmine Hearn

THURSDAY FEB. 13

ART ART

For his latest show HIM, now on view at Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild, ceramicist and designer Adam Chau examines his relationship with his husband through a series of images mechanically painted onto porcelain tiles. The show continues Chau’s mission of integrating “handcraft and high-tech” to explore how millennial culture, specifically queer communities, utilizes digital platforms. Chau will speak during an artist talk and reception. 6-8 p.m. Show continues through

Sun., March 15. 1815 Metropolitan St., North Side. mcgyouthandarts.org

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

More and more young people across the nation are calling for action to social and political movements. Now, a group of Point Park University photography students are putting sociopolitical topics to canvas with Borders, Barriers, and Boundaries. The juried show, curated by Casey Droege and Hannah Turpin, will feature the work of nine students covering a wide range of themes including gender, identity, and mental health. Mark our words: Today’s youth are gonna save the world. Maybe even one photograph at a time.

6 p.m. Continues through Thu., Feb. 20. Artists Image Resource, 518 Foreland St., North Side. artistsimageresource.org

STAGE The iconic TV show I Love Lucy! has been made into a comic book, a radio show, a feature film, countless toys and games, and spurred countless spinoffs and imitators. Now, it’s entering the final frontier of pop culture longevity at The Oaks Theater: a murder mystery. In I Loathe Lucy, “America’s favorite redhead” is found dead and it’s up to the audience members to solve the murder. Is it Ricky? Is it Ethel? Is it Fred? Someone else? Guess correctly and win a prize at this immersive theater event from Mystery’s

Most Wanted. 6:30 p.m. 310 Allegheny River Blvd., Oakmont. $15-20. theoakstheater.com

FRIDAY FEB. 14 COMEDY As the father of a son with autism, comedian Ron Funches isn’t one to flinch away from using humor to describe the difficulties of parenthood. “To me, taking care of this child is like taking care of your very best friend after they’ve done way too many shrooms,” he jokes in one special. Comedy fans may know him for his

PHOTO: JOHN FAIER/THE RICHARD H. DRIEHAUS MUSEUM

^ Sat., Feb. 15: Maker & Muse: Women and Early Twentieth Century Art Jewelry

infectious smile or for his distinctive voice, which he has lent to animated series and films like Bob’s Burgers, BoJack Horseman, and Trolls. See Funches when he takes the Pittsburgh Improv stage. 7:30-9:45 p.m. Continues through Sun., Feb. 16. 166 E. Bridge St., Homestead. $22. improv.com/pittsburgh

SATURDAY RDAY

incorporate dance, yoga, and vocalization to “investigate how the body is able to use memory, sensation, and imagination as ways to enter movement to articulate story, ancestry, and personal truth.” All levels of experience are welcome to participate. 2-4 p.m. 214 N. Lexington St., Point Breeze. $10-15 suggested donation. thespaceupstairs.org p p g

COMEDY

Politics are a very silly bus business, which is why we nee need comedians to make ffun of them. Krish M Mohan is a self-described self-de “socially As the song goes, conscious” conscio comedian diamonds are a girl’s rl’s whose material covers best friend, but att war, immigration, im The Frick Pittsburgh, gh, race, a and other spicy diamonds, and other her issues. IIt’s been a pretty gemstones, are so o quiet ye year, politically, Turn to page 8 much more. Maker er & so he pro probably won’t Muse: Women and d Early for our list have much tto talk about. Twentieth Century y Art Catch his show at 3rd Street Jewelry features more than Gallery y with speci special guest Mike 200 pieces of art jewelry, ewelry, including Buzzelli. 7 p.m. 220 T Third St., Carnegie. necklaces, pendants, nts, brooches, tiaras, $20. 3rdstreetgallery.net ments by renowned and other adornments artisans and craftspeople. speople. The show also celebrates the important portant role women Any Kyle Kinane fans bummed that played in creating art jewelry at the turn his Rex Theater show sold out can of the 20th century. Continues through breathe easy and hustle to get tickets May 10. 7227 Reynolds St., Point Breeze. to his new late show that night at $8-15. Free for members and children 5 and 10 p.m. Those unfamiliar will surely under. thefrickpittsburgh.org recognize him from his appearances on Drunk History, Conan, Comedy Bang! Bang!, WTF with Marc Maron, Love, Dancer and choreographer Jasmine Hearn, his standup specials on Comedy whose resume includes stints with Alloy Central. 8 p.m. (sold out) and 10:30 p.m. Theater, STAYCEE PEARL dance project, 1602 E. Carson St., South Side. $26. and Attack Theater, will lead a movement rextheater.net workshop at The Space Upstairs. It will

FEB. 15 ART

LOOKING FOR VALENTINE’S DAY EVENTS?

COMEDY

DANCE

CONTINUES ON PG. 34

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER FEB. 12-19, 2020

CALENDAR, CONTINUED FROM PG. 33

PHOTO (DETAIL): MELANIE ALLAN

^ Thu., Feb. 13: Borders, Barriers, and Boundaries

SUNDAY FEB. 16

CARNIVAL Buy some goods and support a good cause. The Quarterly Queer Carnival at the Persad Center has a flea market with vendors and artists, as well as a food drive. Entrance to the Carnival is $1 or a donation of shelf-stable goods to the Persad Center’s food pantry. There are also raffles with prizes, and proceeds from the event go toward TransPride Pgh. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. 5301 Butler St., Lawrenceville. Search “Quarterly Queer Carnival” on Facebook.

DRAG It’s time for another round of Pittsburgh’s favorite (and only?) parody game show, Match Gayme. The event is hosted by Joe King along with a slate of drag kings and queens playing off this month’s theme: “the British are coming.” The show’s description promises it will be “bringing Britain’s top spy to the ‘Burgh” so expect some Austin Powers impressions. There will be audience participation, prizes, giveaways, and more. 12 p.m. Hard Rock Cafe, 230 W. Station Square

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

Drive, South Side. $15-40. All ages. hardrockcafe.com/location/pittsburgh

EVENT You’ve always wanted that beautiful oil painting of yourself to hang above your fire place and admire while sipping your favorite brandy. But who can afford that? Well, with $20 and Me, You & Hennessy Trap + Paint your dream can become reality. Join BOOM Concepts, who will provide artists to sketch an outline of you onto canvas and work with you as you add some life with paint, for a night of prizes, games, and your favorite rap, soul, and R&B hits. 3-6 p.m. 5139 Penn Ave., Garfield. $20. “Me, You & Hennessy Trap + Paint” on Facebook

MONDAY FEB. 17

LIT White Whale Bookstore will feature eight Pittsburghbased writers as part of its Black History Month celebration. Co-organized and hosted by award-winning poets Cameron Barnett and Malcolm Friend, the event

includes readings by Jari Bradley, K. Henderson, Willie Kinard III, Nicole Lourette, Gabrielle Ralambo-Rajerison, and Steffan Triplett, as well as by Barnett and Friend. 7-9 p.m. 4754 Liberty Ave., Bloomfield. Seating is limited. whitewhalebookstore.com

COMEDY It’s a tale as old as time. Two friends from Temple University create absurdist comedy videos, send them off to Hollywood bigwigs and become rich and famous. OK, that’s a bit of an oversimplification and rarely ever happens. But Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim were funny, driven, and rose to a level of comedy most comedians can only dream of. Come laugh with Tim and Eric at their 2020 MANDATORY ATTENDANCE WORLD TOUR at Carnegie Music Hall of Oakland. 7 p.m. 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland. $45. druskyentertainment.com

TUESDAY FEB. 18

LECTURE Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, critic, and curator Hilton Als has

used his voice to center the conversation around race, gender, and sexuality in the arts, including as the lead theater critic for The New Yorker and in his award-winning collection of essays, White Girls. Hear him speak at McConomy Auditorium as part of the Carnegie Mellon University School of Art’s annual Robert L. Lepper Distinguished Lecture in Creative Inquiry. 6:30-8 p.m. 5000 Forbes Ave., Oakland. art.cmu.edu

TALK As one of the most recognizable names in journalism, Soledad O’Brien has made a career with in-depth reporting on race and class in America, with issues like Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil spill. She currently hosts Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien and has her own production company. Join Slippery Rock University for An Evening with Soledad O’Brien: Her Life Stories to hear about her career and background. 7:30 p.m. Robert M. Smith Student Center, 107 Central Loop, Slippery Rock. Free. Tickets can be picked up at the Smith Student Center. sru.edu/events

PHOTO: MADIGAN GREINER

^ Wed., Feb. 19: Anna DeGuzman

WEDNESDAY FEB. 19 MAGIC C Cardistry. You’ve heard of it, right? Neither have ve I. But after looking it up, it’s hard d to not recommend na DeGuzman, “The Queen seeing Anna of Cardistry,” y,” at Liberty Magic. DeGuzman n started performing magic on the he streets and now tours with her intricate card art forr the masses. She’s one of the most influential social media magicians and has appeared on 2019’s Penn & Teller: Fool Us. 7:30 30 p.m. Continues through Thu., March h 6. 811 Libertyy Ave., Downtown. n. $40. trustarts.org rg

and unwritten rules of life in the ‘Burgh. Have your y curiosity y sated in p person with Good Question! Live at City Theatre, where Blackley and a panel of experts will discuss neighborhood hermitry, untold local Civil War stories, and more. 7:30 p.m. 1300 Bingham St., South Side. $20 for adults/$10 for students and kids. “Good Question! Live” on Facebook •

STAGEE In a city as replete with quirks and puzzling ng traditions as Pittsburgh, it’s natural to wonder why hy and how this place came to be e so idiosyncratic. A’s Good Question!, in Enter WESA’s which host Katie Blackley tackles and unravels els the many mysteries

< Sun., Feb. 16: Match Gayme host Joe King

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Celtics and Bruins play 49. They’ll help you remove a spare tire 50. Puncher Max 51. Supporting, with “of” 54. Short-in-thefront-long-in-theback haircuts 57. Principle of zen 58. Irreplaceable string 60. Stretches during history class 62. Things in the cart 63. Must, colloquially 64. Alternatives to bow ties 65. Lavish care (on) 66. Buddy of reruns 67. They’re no longer seeing each other

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER FEB. 12-19, 2020

PEEPSHOW A sex and social justice column BY JESSIE SAGE // PEEPSHOWCAST@GMAIL.COM

MAGINE WALKING INTO a public event and seeing a woman furiously riding a recumbent bicycle with a hint of pleasure on her face. Not the kind of pleasure that you get from breaking a sweat while exercising but one that is more akin to masturbating with a vibrator, and you realize she’s pleasuring herself while the seat vibrates with every stroke of the pedal. And then imagine yourself, at this same event, watching two folks who barely know each other step into an art installation, put on helmets, and awkwardly kiss for the ﬁrst time as their helmets are pushed together via hydraulics. A more technologically advanced version of “Seven minutes in heaven”? Only this time, everyone’s watching. And now imagine not only being able to see these things, but being able to take your own turn as well, either alone, or with your partner(s), dipping your toes into a public sex space, perhaps for the ﬁrst time. Imagine no more. Such an event, where pleasure, sexuality, and connections are pushed to the forefront, is something that you can actually experience this weekend in Pittsburgh. On Sat., Feb. 15, local avant indie orchestra Spish is hosting a multimedia art event: Love Dungeon III: Heaven and Hell, and it invites folks from all walks to life to come out and experience

PHOTO: STONE FENK

Domina E. (center) and Pure Garbage (right).

SPISH’S LOVE DUNGEON 3: HEAVEN & HELL 8 p.m. Sat., Feb. 15. Thunderbird Café & Music Hall, 4053 Butler St., Lawrenceville. 21+. $14. thunderbirdmusichall.com

something fun, sexy, and interactive this Valentine’s Day. And when the event says people from all walks of life are invited, it means it. While there will be burlesque performers, rope demonstrations, and interactive events and installations, those who attend are not expected to previously have been a part of any of these communities. And this is one of the beneﬁts of an event like this. While going to a swingers club can be intimi-

dating when you don’t know the rules and norms of swinger culture, and going to a BDSM munch may seem scary if you don’t quite know how you ﬁt in or what you are interested in exploring, Love Dungeon is intended to be a stepping stone, one that you can come into without any experience. “The event is intended to be an educational immersive learning experience,” says Ric West, Spish’s synth and keyboard player. “It is a safe space for

everyone to express themselves individually and also to express their sexual identity as freely as they want.” They have taken many steps to make this as comfortable as possible, telling people to dress in whatever makes them feel sexy, recognizing that this could mean any number of things. Sexy is not one size ﬁts all. They have also drawn up “The 10 Consentments,” alluding to the heaven and hell theme, which will be prominently displayed. These range from rules about touching, to how to interact with the performers, to issues of respect for everyone’s sexual and gender identity and expression. For someone like me, who goes to porn conventions for work and has spent many years in sex communities and public sex spaces, it doesn’t seem particularly naughty to ride a bike with a vibrating chair in front of people. But perhaps this sounds unappealing to me because I remember doing something similar on a MotorBunny in a sex club years ago, and it made me want to die (a story for another time!). But if I think back to a time before exploring sexuality became my job, and before I became so comfortable displaying my sexuality in public, I think that such an event would have been a really nice and safe way of exploring sexuality in a pubic, group dynamic.

•

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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