June 26, 2019 - Pittsburgh City Paper

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pghcitypaper.com MLK Community Mural Project founder Kyle Holbrook invited area youth to help him paint this larger-than life mural of Roberto Clemente on the side of the Clemente Museum.

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JUNE 26-JULY 3, 2019 VOLUME 28 + ISSUE 26 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 KAITLIN OLIVER, NICK PAGANO Office Coordinator MAGGIE WEAVER Events and Marketing Coordinator BRYER BLUMENSCHEIN 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 Interns SARAH CONNOR, JARED MURPHY, EMILY WOLFE Office Administrator RODNEY REGAN National Advertising Representative VMG ADVERTISING 1.888.278.9866 OR 1.212.475.2529 Publisher EAGLE MEDIA CORP.

FIRSTSHOT

BY JARED WICKERHAM

GENERAL POLICIES: Contents copyrighted 2019 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, faxes or e-mails must be signed and include town and daytime phone number for confirmation. We may edit for length and clarity. DISTRIBUTION: Pittsburgh City Paper is published weekly by 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.

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COVER PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM READ THE STORY ON PAGE 6

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JUNE 26-JULY 3, 2019

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CP PHOTOS: JARED WICKERHAM

Leandra Mira on the steps of the City-County Building

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THE BIG STORY

CLIMATE CHANGER

BY EMILY WOLFE // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

L

EANDRA MIRA IS a little worried the people who pass her think she’s a doomsday prophet.

It’s the “11 YEARS” poster that might cause confusion, propped up next to Mira’s regular perch in Downtown Pittsburgh, right on the City-County Building steps. Those 11 years, some climate researchers say, are all that’s left to prevent irreversible damage from climate change.

But 17-year-old Mira, who has sat by herself on the steps every Friday from 12-4 p.m. for the past month, doesn’t want to tell you about the end of the world. Like many of the young activists who have started striking for action on climate change, Mira just wants us to do something.

Mira’s goals are part global, part local. As an Upper St. Clair native, Mira isn’t technically a Pittsburgher, and the city officials working behind her in the City-County Building weren’t elected or appointed to serve her.

(Contrary to the building’s name, most Allegheny County officials work in other buildings nearby.) But reading about Pittsburgh’s poor air, and the ethane cracker plant Shell is constructing in Beaver County, made her feel like she needed to do something.

“We say we want to be a green city, we say we want to do all these things for the climate crisis, and yet we aren’t really mobilizing and doing that,” said Mira.

She doesn’t have a written list of demands, at least not yet. She doesn’t trust herself with that, she says — her protest is all about finding other people who can help her make the changes she wants to make. Her hope is that it all leads up to a large demonstration near this spot on Sept. 20, the planned date of a massive global climate strike.

Mira’s inspiration, 16-year-old Greta Thunberg, started striking outside the Swedish Parliament in Stockholm less than a year ago. Eventually, others joined her. Now, more than a million people across the world have participated in Thunberg’s School Strike for Climate Change. She’s addressed the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Poland and was featured on the cover of Time magazine, and her movement is still growing.

First, though, Friday after Friday, just like Mira, she sat alone.

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WASHINGTON, PA LOCATION 95 Leonard Avenue - Suite 203 Washington PA 15301 Phone: (724) 249-2517 Friends showed Mira support as she protested on the steps of the City-County Building on Fri., June 21.

W Lynn Cullen shows off her new Harriet Tubman stamp on air on Mon., June 24.

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HEN MIRA decided she wanted

to start a #FridaysForFuture movement in Pittsburgh, she took to social media, advertising the plan on Instagram — she figured that was a good place to recruit like-minded teens.

No one showed up the first week. Or the second.

As she prepared for her third Friday on the City-County Building steps, Mira said that although “it does feel lonely sometimes,” she doesn’t blame kids her age who message her with excuses for why they’re not joining her or — even worse — say they’re coming and then don’t show.

“I’ve been out here for two weeks alone,” she said. “I’ll be out here for more and more weeks alone if I have to, but you don’t have to make an excuse. It’s not like a birthday party. If you want to come, then come. I’m choosing to do this, but not everyone wants to spend a couple hours on Friday doing this.”

The third Friday was different, though. Paul Kim, the head organizer of the Pittsburgh chapter of this spring’s Youth Climate Strike, left summer camp to join Mira for the last hour of her protest. Kim, also 17, arrived in a Bernie Sanders T-shirt and greeted Mira with a

hug, pulling out a “Green New Deal Now” sign. They’d never met in person before.

“Thank you so much for what you’re doing,” Kim said. “We need to amplify this movement, and we need to bring more people out.”

that day, either. Two activists from the Clean Air Council saw a tweet about Mira’s protest and stopped by to give encouragement and take a selfie. (“I finally have friends!” Mira joked as they took the picture together.) Allegheny

“IF WE KEEP DOING THIS EVERY FRIDAY, WE’LL GET TO A PLACE WHERE THERE’S HUNDREDS OF KIDS OR THOUSANDS OF KIDS.” Immediately, the two started talking about plans for the future. The next Youth Climate Strike is Sept. 20, a date Mira knew from the start would be the next big step in her plan. Hopefully, Mira said, if she continues her protest every Friday until September, they’ll be able to harness the energy for the September strike and beyond.

“In a year, if we keep doing this every Friday, we’ll get to a place where there’s hundreds of kids or thousands of kids,” Mira said.

Kim wasn’t Mira’s only companion

County Councilor Anita Prizio (D-O’Hara), an environmental advocate who has proposed a natural-gas drilling registry for Allegheny County, came by too. She gave Mira a few names, local activists to reach out to for help.

“This is your future,” Prizio told Mira.

“I’ll be gone at that time, but it’s so important that we leave something for future generations, for my children and grandchildren. We need to think big.” She points to climate advocate and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) as an example. “She’s thinking big.”

Erika Strassburger’s tweet after meeting Mira at the City-County Building on Fri., June 21.

“I love her,” Mira said about OcasioCortez. “I’m going to be her vice president.”

“You have my vote,” said Prizio.

Actually, Mira wants to be a marine biologist. She’ll graduate from online school later this summer and then spend a gap year living in Pittsburgh, volunteering around the city — and sitting on the City-County Building steps every Friday. Eventually, she wants to travel the world, she says, and create documentaries about the environment. After all, Mira was sitting at home, watching documentaries and reading articles, when she decided she wanted to take action.

“I’ve been thinking,‘How do I take the next steps to achieve this?’ and it always involves other people,” Mira said. “[But] there has to be someone who just starts.”

O

NE WEEK LATER, Mira was back in front of the City-County Building.

And it appears her momentum is growing, slowly.

Two former classmates from Upper St. Clair High School — and members of the school’s environmental club — were with her this time. Both said they plan to come back as often as they can this summer. Prizio visited again too, and

Pittsburgh City Councilor Erika Strassburger (D-Shadyside), came by with her baby. Strassburger spoke with Mira about messaging climate policy for the general public and how to keep people continuously involved in a movement that will likely take years to enact bold changes.

The councilor even invited Mira to speak at an air quality listening session she’s hosting at Repair the World Pittsburgh next week.

“Climate change affects all of us, and the future of Pittsburgh and our world depend on persistent, committed young leaders like Leandra to advocate for change at all levels of government,” said Strassburger in a statement sent to City Paper. “I look forward to working with these young advocates to make real change into the future.”

And some people who stopped were just curious passersby. The knot of people attracted friendlier looks than Mira did alone. One man approached, introduced himself, and asked about the “Climate Action Now” sign next to Mira. Mira’s classmates looked at her, and then Mira sat up straight.

“We’re sitting out here today because there’s a global movement called Fridays for Future,” she began.

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JUNE 26-JULY 3, 2019

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CHATHAM UNIVERSITY LAUNCHES FOOD BANK FARM TO GROW FRESH CROPS FOR COMMUNITIES IN NEED This farm is fully funded by the food bank, which also manages delivery logistics, funds an internship program for the farm, and recruits volunteers.

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.NEWS.

WHAT NOW?

BY RYAN DETO // RYANDETO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

T

HIS MONDAY, feuding health-care giants UPMC and Highmark agreed to a 10-year contract that ensures Highmark patients have in-network access to UPMC doctors and hospitals.

A longtime conflict between the two nonprofits had led to a split that meant most of the patients with Highmark health insurance would have to pay outof-network costs to UPMC doctors and hospitals, despite the fact that some Highmark patients had UPMC doctors for years and UPMC hospitals were often their most convenient option.

“WE STILL NEED TO FINISH THE JOB WITH LEGISLATION THAT PUTS AN END TO ALL UNCERTAINTY.” Earlier this year, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro sued UPMC in the hopes of getting them to accept Highmark patients. Shapiro announced the contract today and was elated with the results. He tweeted the agreement was a “momentous achievement.”

Shapiro also announced that his office has withdrawn its lawsuit against UPMC. But UPMC is not out of hot water.

State Rep. Dan Frankel (D-Squirrel Hill) applauded the agreement reached between UPMC and Highmark, but encouraged the state legislature to support his Expanding Fair Access to Hospital Legislation package of bills that would ensure fair contracts between competing health-insurance providers.

The agreement signed between the health-care giants is for 10 years, and it is uncertain what would happen after that agreement expires in 2029.

“And, as we celebrate UPMC’s decision

not to hold patients hostage to force an outcome that suits them, I again call on my colleagues to support my legislation to put some regulations in place so that hospital-insurance companies who get tax benefits like charities are also required to behave like charities,” says Frankel in a press release. “We cannot have this commonwealth’s families fearfully holding their breath every time a contract is up for negotiation.”

Shapiro’s now-dropped suit against UPMC sought to prove that UPMC, a nonprofit, was in violation of its charitable obligations in failing to accept Highmark patients.

But some are still questioning if UPMC is living up to its charitable obligations, even after the agreement was signed. Allegheny County Controller Chelsa Wagner also called on support for Frankel’s legislation, House Bills 1211 and 1213.

“While this agreement is a welcome development, we still need to finish the job with legislation that puts an end to all uncertainty, so that five or 10 years down the line, no entity can use our healthcare as a bargaining chip,” said Wagner in a press release.

She also called on a renewed effort to challenge UPMC’s charitable mission in Allegheny County. Wagner is a critic of the tax-exempt status that large nonprofits like UPMC have in Allegheny County. These nonprofits are not required to pay county, city, or school district property taxes in the county. Wagner is hopeful that progress can be made in that area moving forward.

“Our residents deserve a charity that lives up to its title,” says Wagner.

“Hopefully this agreement offers the first step in this journey.”

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JUNE 26-JULY 3, 2019

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.NEWS.

UNFRIEND PENNSYLVANIA

BY RYAN DETO RYANDETO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

P

ENNSYLVANIA TAXPAYERS own 28,706 Facebook shares. That’s a very small percentage of the billions that constitute the social media giant’s shares, but that number still represents 28,706 votes at the company’s share-holder meetings and gives commonwealth residents a say in how Facebook operates.

Or it at least it should.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and a group of insiders own most of the shares, including the lion’s share of Class B shares, which come with 10 votes a share. Pennsylvania only owns Class A shares, which come with one vote each.

Zuckerberg and top Facebook officials control nearly 70 percent of the voting, with Zuckerberg himself controlling almost 60 percent of the stock, according to CNBC. Even though it’s been quite the tumultuous year for Facebook, with scandals involving loose privacy rules, the spread of false news, and resignations, there is little outside pressure to have Zuckerberg make changes.

Still, Pennsylvania State Treasurer Joe Torsella is beating the drum for changes to come to the company. Torsella has joined five other state treasurers in requesting that the Facebook board of directors make the role of Board Chair an independent position. Zuckerberg currently holds that position, in addition to being CEO. Torsella, as the manager of the commonwealth’s $33.6 billion investment portfolio, says Facebook is too large and carries too much influence to continue without checks and balances in its governance structure. He says it is ultimately a financial recommendation to ensure that Pennsylvania’s investment maintains growth.

“It’s about standing up when we think Pennsylvanians are being taken advantage of,” says Torsella. “We use the power of the purse when we can. …

We have a higher obligation to engage to produce better results with companies that we think are going down the wrong road.”

Torsella, who was previously CEO

CP PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: ABBIE ADAMS

of the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, says his experience in the position means he understands the annoyance of having a board of shareholders make decisions for a private company. But in the long run, it is better for the company and investors, noting that most major corporations, especially ones that have been in existence for a long time, have checks and balances on shareholder power.

He also notes the growing calls to break up Facebook, reflecting the public’s desire for the company to make changes.

He would feel different if he was “calling for some radical thing,” but Torsella says his request for changing the governance structure is very common. Torsella says shareholders should have a proportional say about the future of the company that equal their shares.

“If shareholders put up their capital, they should have the same rights,” says Torsella.

According to CNBC, last year the Council of Institutional Investors came

out supporting the abolition of multiple class listings for shares, like the Class B shares at Facebook.

Facebook didn’t provide comment for this story.

Torsella says Pennsylvanians are especially impacted by Facebook, not just because the state invests more than $5 million in the company, but because of privacy concerns and how other countries have attempted to target Pennsylvanians in order to sway their votes during the 2016 election.

“We don’t do this indiscriminately,” says Torsella. “We do it where we think there is a Pennsylvania-specific issue, and where we can have an impact.”

According to the report by special counsel Robert Mueller, a Russian Company called Internet Research Agency created a fake “Miners for Trump” rally in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, and tried to solicit shares from the Trump campaign and other prominent Pennsylvania Republicans. Facebook allowed an IRA-created account to

Follow senior writer Ryan Deto on Twitter @RyanDeto

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sponsor this post, which was targeted directly to Pennsylvanians.

Torsella acknowledges the tough climb ahead to get Facebook to alter its governances, but he’s optimistic. He cites examples in which economic pressure on pharmaceutical companies involved in the opioid crisis successfully produced change. He also pointed out how 68 percent of public Facebook shareholders (not including insiders like Zuckerberg) recently voted to remove Zuckerberg as chair, up from 51 percent of the last shareholder vote.

Torsella says he feels an obligation to pressure Facebook in order to protect Pennsylvanians’ investment in the tech giant that’s directly tied to programs like tuition assistance and grants for new entrepreneurs.

“When you think about the money in our custody, it makes me mad Facebook is acting like this,” says Torsella.

“Those people worked hard to send their son or daughter to college, or start a small business.”

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.GABBY NORMAL.

WHAT ABOUT THE MUSTARD?

BY GAB BONESSO // CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

L

AST MONTH, a local man tweeted to the Heinz Corporation that he brought his own Heinz ketchup packets to Kennywood Park, knowing that they don’t serve his favorite brand.

Heinz Corporation tweeted back and rewarded the man with a summer supply of Heinz ketchup packets, plus two season passes to Kennywood.

This Twitter exchange not only went viral but gained national attention when Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster made a YouTube video handing out Heinz ketchup to Kennywood patrons.

As of this month, Kennywood announced that they will serve Heinz ketchup and apologized for the error in judgement.

Over the years, there have been several articles written about our city’s deep loyalty to Heinz ketchup.

Here’s my question: Why only the ketchup?

You never hear this outrage when the people of Pittsburgh aren’t being served Heinz pickles or Heinz BBQ sauce.

I mean, if you were truly loyal to Heinz, then you’d defend all of its condiments.

Hear me loud and clear, Pittsburgh! If you love Heinz ketchup, you will LOVE the company’s eight different BBQ sauces.

Personally, I prefer Heinz mayo. I know the world (specifically, my Aunt Val) prefers other options like Hellman’s, but for me, it’s “Hell NO, man.” Ya Dig? And yes, I’m all about the blending of mayo and ketchup to make “Mayochup.”

It saves me money and room in my refrigerator!

Did you even realize that Heinz makes beans, relishes, vinegars, pickles, gravy, cocktail sauce, and so much more?

FOR ME, IT’S “HELL NO, MAN.” Wake up, Sheeple! You can’t only be angry when the Ketchup gets dissed.

The outrage you feel about Heinz Ketchup not being served at Kennywood is how you should feel all the time.

You should be in a constant state of fury that restaurants aren’t Heinz-inclusive in this town.

This summer, if you’re at a friend’s house for a picnic and they serve hotdogs, look at the condiments. If you see French’s mustard, then you know your friends are monsters! They probably have a Ravens jersey hidden in their closet and if questioned, couldn’t name one song by The Clarks.

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Follow featured contributor Gab Bonesso on Twitter @gabbonesso PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JUNE 26-JULY 3, 2019

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.RESTAURANT REVIEW.

CRUMB.

BY MAGGIE WEAVER MWEAVER@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

W

HEN CRUMB. left Smallman

Galley in January, the vegan community mourned the loss of yet another dining option. Abbigail Marie Hansel, creator of the plantbased eatery, was the first chef to bring an all-vegan menu to the food hall; her comfort food was sorely missed the moment it left.

But the loss was short lived. In midMay, Hansel launched another version of crumb., this time using fast-food as inspiration for the late-night “plantbased pop up experience” in Garfield.

Crumb. is Hansel’s second allvegan venture.

CRUMB. Gluten Free Goat Bakery & Café, 4905 Penn Ave., Garfield. crumbpgh.com

In 2016 she started Relish, a doughnut and brunch pop-up. In late 2017, Hansel announced plans to open a permanent shop in Bloomfield. Less than a year later, after a successful Kickstarter campaign, Relish was forced to vacate its building due to construction issues.

In December 2018, a few months after Relish moved out of Bloomfield, Hansel brought crumb. to life inside Smallman Galley through a month-long pop-up. It was a sharp, savory turn from her menu at Relish (though pastries still made a regular appearance). Her menu, full of plates typically off-limits for vegans — wings, burgers, biscuits and gravy — was an immediate success.

Once January hit, crumb. and Hansel disappeared once again, promising there was more to come.

Hansel returned to the scene in March, assisting with the first dinner

CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

The “Big Cheese,” “Crispy Boy,” “Fuggets,” and fries at crumb.

menu at Gluten Free Goat Bakery & Café in Garfield. Two months later, she announced plans for her nighttime popup in the same space.

When I walked into the Gluten Free Goat late on a Friday night, I had no idea what to expect. Vegan fast-food sounded like an oxymoron. Everything to love about the cuisine was anchored in my ability to eat anything.

Hansel proved me wrong.

The menu looks like every other fastfood joint until you take a closer look.

There are four burgers, two “chicken”

sandwiches, fuggets, fries, and a few homemade sauces. At the bottom, it notes that the menu is totally vegan and gluten-, soy-, corn-, oat-, and peanut-free.

Fries and fuggets (fake nuggets, as the menu described them, were “a garlic bread, chickpea, poultry seasoning hybrid” that was deep-fried) were fantastic, the perfect vessels for Hansel’s sauces. Her cashew ranch was full of dill, creamy, and thick; the “hot honee” packed a punch of heat that was mellowed beautifully by the sweetness.

FAVORITE FEATURES:

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Pastries

Packaging

Delivery

Hosting a pop-up in an established bakery has perks.

Need a sweet finish? Peruse the pastry case.

Crumb. feels like a true fast food joint, even in their packaging.

Burgers are wrapped in paper and fries in thin, wax paper bags.

Hansel’s late-night treats are available through GrubHub until 2 a.m. You can even pre-order them!

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Hansel’s Cheese Thicc burger was stacked high with four patties, cheese sauce, and fixings. If I was more accustomed to plant-based patties and vegan cheese, I think I would have been sold on the sandwich (my vegetarian companion loved it). But without the experience, I found the substitute lacking.

Her gluten-free bun, however, was a triumph. It escaped the gluten free stereotypes — dry and crumbly — and instead, was moist and slightly dense.

With Hansel’s bun on my side, I didn’t miss “real bread” at all.

My table was full of friends with food restrictions: two gluten-free and one vegetarian. Crumb. gave them, along with the neighborhood, a chance to eat from a menu without asking, “is this gluten free?” or “does this have meat in it?” Hansel created nostalgic, plant-based food that’s delicious for all-eaters, and not just vegans.

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Follow staff writer Maggie Weaver on Twitter @magweav

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CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

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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.

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JUNE 26-JULY 3, 2019

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ANGELIA’S CRAFT PIZZA & BEER 18 beer rotating tap list Daily food and drink specials New Thursday craft draft happy hours

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

CP PHOTO: HANNAH LYNN

Shady Capri Sun at Shady Grove

.ON THE ROCKS.

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

847 WESTERN AVENUE

CAPRI SUN, REVISITED

412BREWS.COM

BY HANNAH LYNN // HLYNN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

I

T’S OFFICIALLY summer and you know what that means: gimmicky cocktails. It’s a season full of normal flavored cocktails served in odd vessels, or odd flavored cocktails served in a normal vessel. Think alcoholic slushies, wine juice boxes, etc. At Shady Grove in Shadyside, you can get a “Shady Capri Sun,” which tastes only slightly worse than you’d imagine. It is, however, just as embarrassing as you’d imagine asking a waiter for “one adult Capri Sun, please.”

The drink comes in a translucent Ziplock-like pouch with a straw stuck through a gap in the zip (meaning you don’t get to stab the pouch with the straw — a crucial part of the Capri Sun experience). It looks like an IV bag, but the drink itself is red, so it also looks kind of like a blood bag. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but is it a Capri Sun, or just a cocktail pouch?

The flavor was raspberry-ish, with visible fruit chunks floating in the pouch. It had a slightly medicinal taste and is most reminiscent of jungle juice.

I asked the waiter how they make the drink, and she confirmed that it’s basically jungle juice. Again, this is not necessarily a bad thing. I’m not too good for jungle juice. But for $10, the

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drink should do more than just be in a pouch. If this drink were in a regular glass for $10, it would be completely useless. In two years, some bar will probably start selling jungle juice in a red Solo cup for $10.

SHADY GROVE 5500 Walnut St., Shadyside. eatshady.com

To be fair to the adult Capri Sun, the optimum time to drink it is probably a Saturday at 3 p.m. on Shady Grove’s patio, not as I did, indoors at 10 p.m. on a chilly June evening. And even though I just said the drink was too expensive and didn’t taste that good, it is, unfortunately, still fun to drink out of a pouch. If it cost less I’d probably order it again, but also think it’s likely to become a trendy portable beverage sold at liquor stores, à la canned wine.

Until then, there are still plenty of options for satisfying the nostalgic craving for grown-up pouch juice. In addition to the Shady Capri Sun, you could buy a regular Capri Sun, cut the top off, and pour alcohol into it. You can also buy your own pouches (reusable) online — a pack of 50 costs $14.

•

.FOR THE WEEK OF JUNE 27

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Here are your fortune cookie-style horoscopes for the months ahead. JULY: Transform something that’s semi-ugly into something that’s useful and winsome. AUGUST: Go to the top of the world and seek a big vision of who you must become. SEPTEMBER: Your instinct for worthy and constructive adventures is impeccable. Trust it. OCTOBER: Be alert for a new teacher with a capacity to teach you precisely what you need to learn. NOVEMBER: Your mind might not guide you perfectly, but your body and soul will. DECEMBER: Fresh hungers and budding fascinations should alert you to the fact that deep in the genius part of your soul, your master plan is changing.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Here are your fortune cookie-style horoscopes for the months ahead. JULY: Acquire a new personal symbol that thrills your mind and mobilizes your soul. AUGUST: Reconfigure the way you deal with money. Get smarter about your finances. SEPTEMBER: It’s time to expedite your learning. But streetwise education is more useful than formal education. Study the Book of Life. OCTOBER: Ask for more help than you normally do. Aggressively build your support. NOVEMBER: Creativity is your superpower. Reinvent any part of your life that needs a bolt of imaginative ingenuity. DECEMBER: Love and care for what you imagine to be your flaws and liabilities.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Here are your fortune cookie-style horoscopes for the months ahead. JULY: I’d love to see you phase out wishy-washy wishes that keep you distracted from your burning, churning desires. AUGUST: A story that began years ago begins again. Be proactive about changing the themes you’d rather not repeat. SEPTEMBER: Get seriously and daringly creative about living in a more expansive world. OCTOBER: Acquire a new tool or skill that will enable you to carry out your mission more effectively. NOVEMBER: Unanticipated plot twists can help heal old dilemmas about intimacy. DECEMBER: Come up with savvy plans to eliminate bad stress and welcome good stress.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):

AUGUST: Having power over other people is less important than having power over yourself.

Manage your passions like a wizard! SEPTEMBER: Ask the big question. And be ready to act expeditiously when you get the big answer.

OCTOBER: I think you can arrange for the surge to arrive in manageable installments. Seriously.

NOVEMBER: Dare to break barren customs and habits that are obstructing small miracles and cathartic breakthroughs. DECEMBER: Don’t wait around hoping to be given what you need.

Instead, go after it. Create it yourself, if necessary.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):

Here are your fortune cookie-style horoscopes for the months ahead. JULY: Say this every morning: “The less I have to prove and the fewer people I have to impress, the smarter I’ll be.”

AUGUST: Escape an unnecessary limitation. Break an obsolete rule. Override a faded tradition.

SEPTEMBER: What kind of “badness” might give your goodness more power? OCTOBER: You’re stronger and freer than you thought you were.

Call on your untapped power. NOVEMBER: Narrowing your focus and paring down your options will serve you beautifully. DECEMBER: Replace what’s fake with the Real Thing.

Here are your fortune cookie-style horoscopes for the months ahead. JULY: Can you infuse dark places with your intense light without dimming your intense light? Yes! AUGUST: It’s time for an archetypal Sagittarian jaunt, quest, or pilgrimage. SEPTEMBER: The world around you needs your practical idealism. Be a role model who catalyzes good changes. OCTOBER: Seek out new allies and connections that can help you with your future goals. NOVEMBER: Be open to new and unexpected ideas so as to get the emotional healing you long for. DECEMBER: Shed old, worn-out self-images. Reinvent yourself. Get to know your depths better.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):

Here are your fortune cookie-style horoscopes for the months ahead. JULY: Stretch yourself.

Freelance, moonlight, diversify, and expand.

Here are your fortune cookie-style horoscopes for the months ahead. JULY: You have an enhanced capacity to feel at peace with your

body, to not wish it were different from what it naturally is. AUGUST: You can finally solve a riddle you’ve been trying to solve for a long time.

SEPTEMBER: Make your imagination work and play twice as hard. Crack open seemingly closed possibilities. OCTOBER: Move up at least one rung on the ladder of success. NOVEMBER: Make yourself more receptive to blessings and help that you have overlooked or ignored. DECEMBER: You’ll learn most from what you leave behind — so leave behind as much as possible.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Here are your fortune cookie-style horoscopes for the months ahead. JULY: I’ll cry one tear for you, then I’ll cheer. AUGUST: Plant seeds in places that hadn’t previously been on your radar. SEPTEMBER: You may seem to take a wrong turn, but it’ll take you where you need to go. OCTOBER: Open your mind and heart as wide as you can.

Be receptive to the unexpected. NOVEMBER: I bet you’ll gain a new power, higher rank, or greater privilege. DECEMBER: Send out feelers to new arrivals who may be potential helpers.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Here are your fortune cookie-style horoscopes for the months ahead. JULY: Your creative powers are at a peak. Use them with flair. AUGUST: Wean yourself from pretend feelings and artificial motivations and inauthentic communications. SEPTEMBER: If you want to have greater impact and more influence, you can. Make it

happen! OCTOBER: Love is weird but good. Trust the odd journey it takes you on. NOVEMBER: If you cultivate an appreciation for paradox, your paradoxical goals will succeed. DECEMBER: Set firm deadlines. Have fun disciplining yourself.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Here are your fortune cookie-style horoscopes for the months ahead. JULY: Discipline your inner flame. Use your radiance constructively. Your theme is controlled fire. AUGUST: Release yourself from dwelling on what’s amiss or off-kilter. Find the inspiration to focus on what’s right and good.

SEPTEMBER: Pay your dues with joy and gratitude.

Work hard in service to your beautiful dreams.

OCTOBER: You can undo your attractions to “gratifications” that aren’t really very gratifying.

NOVEMBER: Your allies can become even better allies. Ask them for more. DECEMBER: Be alert for unrecognized value and hidden resources.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Here are your fortune cookie-style horoscopes for the months ahead. JULY: If you choose to play one of life’s trickier games, you must get trickier yourself. AUGUST: Shedding irrelevant theories and unlearning old approaches will pave the way for creative breakthroughs. SEPTEMBER: Begin working on a new product or project that will last a long time. OCTOBER: Maybe you don’t need that emotional crutch as much as you thought. NOVEMBER: Explore the intense, perplexing, interesting feelings until you’re cleansed and healed. DECEMBER: Join forces with a new ally and/or deepen an existing alliance.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Here are your fortune cookie-style horoscopes for the months ahead. JULY: It’s time to take fuller advantage of a resource you’ve been neglecting or underestimating. AUGUST: For a limited time only, two plus two equals five. Capitalize on that fact by temporarily becoming a two-plus-twoequals-five type of person. SEPTEMBER: It’s time and you’re ready to discover new keys to fostering interesting intimacy and robust collaboration.

OCTOBER: The boundaries are shifting on the map of the heart. That will ultimately be a good thing. NOVEMBER: If you do what you fear, you’ll gain unprecedented power over the fear. DECEMBER: What’s the one thing you can’t live without?

Refine and deepen your relationship to it.

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 JUNE 26-JULY 3, 2019

17

.MUSIC.

CRATE EXPECTATIONS

BY JORDAN SNOWDEN // JSNOWDEN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

A

CP PHOTOS: JARED MURPHY

Buscrates

FTER A BRIEF absence, Pittsburghers may have recently seen Buscrates back on the scene. The DJ and producer, .whose real name is Orlando Marshall, joined Mars Jackson, DJ Spillz, and Dopamine at Brillobox in May and played at Glo Phase’s album release show on June 20. However, aside from a few sparse shows, Marshall has been keeping a relatively low profile.

So where has Buscrates been?

Well, he produced a full-length hip-hop album, Eternal Ridin’, signed a deal to create the first ever full-length Buscrates album, scored a co-production credit on Wiz Khalifa and Curren$y’s album 2009 – for the song “From the Start” – and received a prestigious invitation to Jazzy Jeff’s Playlist Retreat, where Marshall met many of his musical heroes.

CONTINUES ON PG. 20

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CRATE EXPECTATIONS, CONTINUED FROM PG. 18

“I’m always working on multiple projects,” says Marshall. “I have my hands in a bunch of pots at all times. It’s challenging, but it’s fun. It keeps me going.”

Eternal Ridin’ dropped May 22 via Portland, Ore. vinyl-centered label Liquid Beat Records. All the production, instrumentals, and scratches were done by Marshall, with rap and lyrics by Portland resident emcee, Libretto.

Mike “Libretto” Jackson was affiliated with Liquid Beat Records before Marshall got involved, and he didn’t know much about the Portland-based rapper until the project. The idea for the two to collaborate came from label owner Matt Nelkin, who reached out to Marshall through email.

“Most of the artists I work with are somewhere else in the world,” says Marshall. “Whether it be Portland, Los Angeles, I’ve even worked with a woman who lives in Athens, Greece. The internet is a wonderful thing; it enables me to do the things that I wouldn’t be able to do if it didn’t exist.”

Minus a trip to Portland to finalize a few odds and ends, the entirety of Eternal Ridin’ was made remotely, which is how Marshall creates most of his music – in

the comfort of his home surrounded by stacks of keyboards and synthesizers.

In the title track of Eternal Ridin’, Jackson raps, “Hey Bus / I know you’re holding it down for Pittsburgh and the East Coast / but I feel like we’re on the West Side / I feel like we’re in L.A.” Both students of hip hop, committed to its preservation and progression, Eternal Ridin’ sounds distinctly like what came out of the West Coast ’90s rap and hip hop scene. With repeat listens, however, traces of the 1990s boom-bap era seep through, one of Marshall’s biggest musical influences along with ’80s boogie funk.

“You might hear some samples and some hard boom bap kind of stuff,” says Marshall, “but you also hear me play some chords on the Rhodes [keyboard] or

some bass synthesizer kind of stuff. It’s kind of a hybrid of both worlds. And a lot of West Coast artists, they were geared toward the funk. It all tied together.”

Similarly, Marshall hopes to bring a variety of different styles – funk, electronic, boom bap – to his first Buscrates LP, set to drop late 2019 or early 2020 on Bastard Jazz Recordings.

He cites Mr. Hands by Herbie Hancock as his inspiration.

“It’s a very short record; there’s only six tracks. But there are so many different styles.

The first track starts off as a slow fusion workout then the next track is straight jazz then the next track is disco funk. It’s a very interesting thing to do a variety of styles in such a short period of time. Six tracks, nowadays

Follow staff writer Jordan Snowden on Twitter @snowden_jordan

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PGHCITYPAPER.COM

that’s an EP.” In addition to the multitude of styles, Marshall plans to have a mix of tracks: instrumental, a few tracks with vocalists, and possibly one or two with him rapping, something he says he hasn’t done in over a decade. But Marshall is not discounting it and went on to admit that creating an entire Buscrates album is a “new beast” because although it’s a solo album, he still needs to get other people involved.

“I need to find instrumentalists, horn players … I have so many wonderful local musicians that I want to use on the album,” says Marshall. “I like to scout out homegrown talent first. And Pittsburgh, it’s almost embarrassing how amazing these musicians are around here and how many of them there are. It’s crazy.”

After over 15 years of producing music, Marshall’s career is hitting a stride, one that the Pittsburgher has unabashedly worked hard for.

“I don’t want to say I’m surprised,” says Marshall, “but I put in so much work over the years, and I’m happy that people are finally starting to see and recognize what it is I got going on over here.”

•

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JUNE 26-JULY 3, 2019

21

SEVEN DAYS OF CONCERTS PANDEMIC PRESENTS:

DOS SANTOS AND RIO MIRA SATURDAY, JUNE 29

Chicago-based quintet Dos Santos was collectively raised listening to popular American tunes and traditional Latin music. The influence of that musical upbringing, combined with the rich jazz scene found in Chicago, resulted in Dos Santos’ unique blend of cabaret, cumbia, and Latinx punk, wrapped in a jazz package. Alex Chavez, the leader of Dos Santos, says in a Bandcamp article that the band is “kind of a bridge. A lot of music comes out of Chicago, and in some ways it goes underappreciated … it also seems like a lot of scenes are segregated from one another. There’s an interesting moment where there seems to be a lot of bridging between scenes, or at the very least, conversations between scenes.” As part of Pandemic Dance Party’s quest to bring global dance styles to Pittsburgh, Dos Santos, along with Afro Latino folkloric group Rio Mira, will play at Roundabouts Pop Up Beer Garden on Saturday. If the event is successful, Pandemic plans to have more shows there in the future. 8-11 p.m. 1836 Oxline St., North Side. $10. facebook.com/PandemicDanceParty PHOTO: CAROLINA SÁNCHEZ

Dos Santos

THURSDAY JUNE 27 ROCK YOUNG THE GIANT, FITZ & THE TANTRUMS. Stage AE. 6 p.m. North Side.

JAZZ MARBIN. Mr. Smalls Theatre.

7 p.m. Millvale.

THOTH TRIO. Kingfly Spirits.

7 p.m. Strip District.

CALVIN STEMLEY AND THE STEMTECS BAND. Wallace’s Whiskey Room. 7 p.m. East Liberty.

HEARKEN (ALBUM RELEASE).

Mr. Smalls Theater. 7 p.m. Millvale.

THECAUSE. Moondog’s.

8 p.m. Blawnox.

DRESSY BESSY, POTTY MOUTH, COLLEEN GREEN. Mr. Smalls Theatre. 8 p.m. Millvale.

TUNNEL SONGS, KATIE ROSE. 222 Ormsby. 6 p.m. Mount Oliver.

PITT FLOYD (PITTSBURGH’S PINK FLOYD TRIBUTE BAND).

Jergels. 6 p.m. Warrendale.

REGGAE

SQUARE HAMMER (GHOST TRIBUTE).

Crafthouse Stage & Grill.

5:30 p.m. Whitehall.

SLIGHTLY STOOPID. Highmark Stadium. 7 p.m. Station Square.

JUNGLE OF THIEVES (ALBUM RELEASE).

Club Cafe. 10 p.m. South Side.

COUNTRY

PACK (SINGLE RELEASE).

Cattivo. 7 p.m. Lawrenceville.

VIOLATED RIGHTS. Preserving Hardcore.

6 p.m. New Kensington.

FOLK THE NATIVE HOWL. Howlers.

7 p.m. Bloomfield.

DJS DJ JOSEY (EVOLUTION).

Belvederes Ultra-Dive.

9:30 p.m. Lawrenceville.

BUSCRATES, AGELESS (DOWN TO FUNK).

The Goldmark.

10 p.m. Lawrenceville.

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PGHCITYPAPER.COM

JD GREEN. Southern Tier Brewing Co. 5 p.m. North Side.

ACOUSTIC ALBERT STANLEY. Bierport.

8 p.m. Lawrenceville.

SARAH SHOOK AND THE DISARMERS. Club Cafe. 7 p.m. South Side.

THE CONTENDERS. Cioppino Restaurant & Cigar Bar. 7 p.m. Strip District.

COVERS

RICK MATT. NOLA on the Square.

8 p.m. Downtown.

BLUES

THE JUKEBOX BAND. Baja Bar and Grill. 8 p.m. Fox Chapel.

THE GORDON JAMES BLUES BAND. Moondog’s. 8:30 p.m.

Blawnox.

ACOUSTIC

COUNTRY

COVERS

DARYL SHAWN. Backstage Bar. 5 p.m. Downtown.

DELTA RAE. Rex Theater.

8 p.m. South Side.

RAP/HIP HOP

ELECTRONIC

SADISTIK. The Smiling Moose.

6:30 p.m. South Side.

SAM BINGA, MR. YUKK. Brillobox. 10 p.m. Bloomfield.

D CLAK (RELEASE PARTY).

Daily Bread. 7 p.m. Bloomfield.

CVN, KOEOSAEME. 3577 Studios. 9 p.m. Polish Hill.

COUNTRY

POP

HEWLETT ANDERSON DUO. Bado’s Pizza Grill & Ale House.

8 p.m. Mount Lebanon

ZAC BROWN BAND. Key Bank Pavilion. 7 p.m. Burgettstown.

DANIIVORY. Hard Rock Cafe.

7:30 p.m. Station Square.

FRIDAY JUNE 28

SMOKEY BELLOWS, THE CHEER’LY MEN. Enix Brewing.

8 p.m. Homestead.

ROCK

JAZZ/BLUES

PARACHUTE. Rex Theater.

8 p.m. South Side.

TOM WENDT TRIO. Wolfie’s Pub. 8 p.m. Downtown.

FOLK

GONE SOUTH. Downey’s House.

8:30 p.m. Robinson.

SATURDAY JUNE 29

ROCK/PUNK SOUL GLO, NOT YOUR FRIENDS. Cafe Verona. 7 p.m. Verona.

DAVID MNEMO (RECORD RELEASE).

Wolfie’s Pub. 8 p.m. Downtown.

JAZZ

THE HIGH LEVEL, VENUS MONOLITH. Howlers. 8 p.m. Bloomfield.

ERIC DEFADE TRIO. Cioppino Restaurant & Cigar Bar. 7 p.m. Strip District.

BOYS OF FALL. Black Forge Coffee House.

7 p.m. Allentown.

JON WORTHY AND THE BENDS. Club Cafe. 10:30 p.m. South Side.

REGGAE TRUTHS AND RITES. Enix Brewing. 8 p.m. Homestead.

METAL CONVICTIONS, EARTH GROANS. The Smiling Moose. 6:30 p.m. South Side.

NUKE, OCCULTIST. Cattivo. 10:30 p.m. Lawrenceville.

FESTIVAL WYEP SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL. Schenley Plaza.

3 p.m. Oakland.

SUNDAY JUNE 30 JAZZ ROGER HUMPHRIES: JAZZ ON THE RIVER. Gateway Clipper Fleet.

12:30 p.m. Station Square.

HIP HOP/R&B MARS JACKSON, CLARA KENT. Hartwood Acres Park. 8:15 p.m.

Allison Park.

CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

The Flow Band at the Indigo Hotel in East Liberty

BLACK MUSIC FESTIVAL SUNDAY, JUNE 30

While the Emancipation Proclamation was passed in 1863, it wasn’t until June 19, 1865, that slaves in Texas were informed that they were officially free. Juneteenth (June 19) became a celebration of freedom, liberty, and justice, and just this year, the holiday became formally recognized in Pennsylvania. On Sat., June 29, there will be a parade march from the Hill District to Downtown, followed by a Martin Delany Freedom Day Festival at Point State Park. On Sunday, the festivities continue with the Black Music Festival, featuring performances by The Flow Band, The Bill Henry Band, DJ Brother Marlon from WAMO, and more. 10 a.m.–7:30 p.m.

Point State Park, 601 Commonwealth Place. facebook.com/WPAJuneteenth/

JELLY ROLL. Crafthouse Stage & Grill. 7 p.m. Whitehall.

ROCK/PUNK WAVE TRAILS, GAADGE. Howlers. 8 p.m. Bloomfield.

MANEKA. Mr. Smalls Theatre.

7 p.m. Millvale.

THE SHINERS. Aspinwall Riverfront Park.

4:30 p.m. Aspinwall.

MONDAY JULY 1 ROCK BLUBIRD, ETHEL SHANK. Gooski’s. 10 p.m. Polish Hill.

ALBERT LEE. Club Cafe.

8 p.m. South Side.

BLUES JIMMY ADLER. Wolfie’s Pub. 6 p.m. Downtown.

TUESDAY JULY 2 ROCK PETER FRAMPTON. Benedum Center. 7:30 p.m. Downtown.

ALL BOY ALL GIRL, DAISY CHAIN. Spirit.

8 p.m. Lawrenceville.

9ELECTRIC. Hard Rock Cafe.

8 p.m. Station Square.

PUNK REEL BIG FISH AND THE AQUABATS. Roxian Theatre.

7 p.m. McKees Rocks.

FULL LIST ONLINE pghcitypaper.com JAZZ ERIN BURKETT, VIRGIL WALTERS. The Blind Pig Saloon.

7:30 p.m. New Kensington.

BLUES

YOKO SUZUKI TRIO. City of Asylum.

7 p.m. North Side.

JIMMY MAC AND THE ATTACK. Wolfie’s Pub. 5 p.m. Downtown.

REGGIE WATKINS AND THE THOTH TRIO. Quantum Spirits.

6 p.m. Carnegie.

JAZZ

PUNK

TOMMY LEHMAN MUSIC SQUADTET. Katz Plaza.

5 p.m. Downtown.

HARVEY PEKAR, DEAD BATTERIES. Tiki Lounge.

10 p.m. South Side.

WEDNESDAY JULY 3 ROCK ADVANCE BASE, MIDDLE CHILDREN, SWAMPWALK. Brillobox. 8 p.m. Bloomfield.

COUNTRY BILLY BOB THORNTON AND THE BOXMASTERS. Jergels. 8 p.m. Warrendale.

FESTIVAL ALL STAR MUSIC FESTIVAL. Heinz Field.

2 p.m. North 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 JUNE 26-JULY 3, 2019

23

.ART . .

ACCESS+ABILITY

BY HANNAH LYNN // HLYNN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

I

T’S IMPORTANT to remember, when talking about disability, that the term is much broader than we normally

think. It’s such a broad umbrella that encompasses things you can be born with, like autism or blindness, but also a broken leg or Alzheimer’s. In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that one in five Americans lives with a disability. Technology designed for people with disabilities, therefore, is not a niche field, but one that can and will benefit everybody.

Access+Ability, on display at the Carnegie Museum of Art (CMOA) until Sept. 8, features a collection of functionally and aesthetically innovative tools that reshape how people with disabilities can navigate the world.

The exhibit highlights more than 70 products — both those currently in use and those in development — designed to assist those with physical, cognitive, and sensory disabilities in everything from showering, to telling time, to playing games. The exhibit originated at the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum in New York.

“Many of the products in Access+Ability exemplify the best of contemporary design. That is, they are aesthetically and materially suited to their purpose, attractive to their users, and fulfill real human needs,” says curator Rachel Delphia.

Access+Ability is a tactile exhibit, with many of the pieces on display available for visitors to touch or use. You can touch the silicone handle on a series of canes by the Michael Graves Design Group, designed not to slip when propped up against a wall. There is a sample of a magnetic shirt to open and close, designed by MagnaReady, to make it easier for those with limited dexterity to get dressed. The “Joy For All Companion Pet,” a robotic puppy designed by Ageless Innovation as a companion for those with dementia, patiently waits for visitors to pet it so it can bark and wag its tale.

CONTINUES ON PG. 26

PHOTOS: BRYAN CONLEY/CARNEGIE MUSEUM OF ART

Prosthetic leg covers by ALLELES Design Studio

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VOTING ENDS JULY 7

Nominate. Vote. Party. bestofpgh.com LADIES AND GENTLEMEN ... IT’S TIME TO

VOTE CHOOSE YOUR FAVORITES FROM ALL OF THE CATEGORIES

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APRIL 17 - MAY 12

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ACCESS+ABILITY, CONTINUED FROM PG. 24

The exhibit includes everything from responsive clothing to an accessible voting booth.

ACCESS+ABILITY Continues through Sun., Sept. 8. CMOA, 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland. Prices vary. cmoa.org

56_4.75_x_4.75.indd 1

6/13/19

Other pieces, while not available to touch, feature a video demonstrating their use in the real world, like blind runner using GPS wristband “Wayband,” 10:50 AM designed by WearWorks, to provide directions via vibrations, helping him run the New York Marathon. Another wristband, the “Emma Watch,” helps stabilize hand tremors to make writing clearer. Every video shows all the ways the product is successful and the joy of the person using it, but it would’ve been interesting to also show ways in which a certain product doesn’t always work for everybody with the same disability.

Any visitor to the exhibit can learn about what technology is useful for different disabilities, and what strides have been made. Delphia also says the exhibit has made CMOA reflect on ways to be more inclusive and accessible for all visitors. “The products themselves and the entire context of the show have opened our minds even more than we anticipated,” says Delphia. “The challenge is prioritizing ways to make the greatest impact.” Delphia notes that the exhibit itself features Braille labels for all of the pieces, as well as frequent hand sanitizer stations so everyone can feel comfortable touching the pieces.

CMOA will also offer accessible programming in conjunction with the

exhibit, like tours with American Sign Language, tours with visual descriptions, and more.

Part of normalizing disability is not only creating products that expand what people can do, but also broadening how people perceive these accessories. Something like a hearing aid, for example, typically only comes in beige or silver colors to blend in. But there’s no reason it can’t be as aesthetically vibrant as any other accessory. Elana Langer’s “Earring Aid” features a typical hearing aid bejeweled with Swarovski crystals, making it more of a fashion statement. Similarly, the prosthetic leg covers by ALLELES Design Studio feature intricately carved designs on a piece meant to cover typically plain prosthetic legs. A prosthetic arm accessory, the “Ivania 2.0,” is a saucier iteration — a prosthetic arm that looks like a red and black corset, perfect for “holding a wineglass at dinner,” as it’s described.

Access+Ability thoughtfully showcases how, even though we live in a world that was not built to be accessible to those with disabilities, there are constant innovations, changes, and progress made. There are things possible now that were not so 10 years ago, and if the products in the exhibit are any proof, the same will be true 10 years in the future.

•

Follow staff writer Hannah Lynn on Twitter @hanfranny

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CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

Lora Oxenreiter poses for a portrait inside McKeesport Little Theater

.STAGE.

BACKSTAGE

BY LISSA BRENNAN // CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

NAME: Lora Oxenreiter, Carrick TITLE: Play Selection Manager of New Works Festival, an annual event that showcases original one-act plays produced by regional theater companies WHAT DO YOU DO? I handle all incoming submissions, from 250 to 350 each year. Each is read by two readers who score them. The top 35 go to the directors. We have a play selection meeting, and each company chooses their first. Once it’s in the hands of the companies, my job is kind of done at that point, but we send critiques. Every playwright gets two regardless of how far they get in the process.

DOES THIS GO ON THROUGHOUT THE YEAR? We open submissions normally on Jan. 1 and deadline in April. This year, because we were moving the festival to another venue, we did it a little later. Once we have about 50 or 60 scripts in, I get

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started with my readers. Those readers then have a deadline that they have to come up with critiques by. In June, we have a meeting where all of the companies come together.

It slows down towards the deadline; then, on the deadline day, we get a hundred, because everybody waits until the last minute.

the playwrights not putting their name on the title, and if they do, we’ll block it out. We now have a reading series that takes place, and we’re trying to take the scripts from local playwrights that aren’t selected and focus on them that way. But it is the Pittsburgh New Works, but not the PITTSBURGH New Works.

wright must be involved with this process. You cannot just make decisions on your own. You want to change one word in that script, you need to ask if that’s okay. This is about the playwrights. This is not about your vision. If you have a vision that you think they might be open to, you have to pass it by them.

WHO ARE THE WRITERS WHO SUBMIT? They come from everywhere. I’m directing one from a playwright from New York City this year, but they come from California [and] work for Disney.

We’ve produced shows from playwrights from Sweden, Switzerland, France, Germany, all over the place. Primarily they’re from the United States, but they’re from all over the place.

HOW DO YOU FIND READERS? I reach out to anybody that I know that is intelligent, that understands what it’s about, what a good play’s about, and cross my fingers. It takes time. You have to write a critique, explain your answers. This year we had five drop out, and I ended up reading 50 scripts. It’s a lot, but that’s what happens sometimes when you’re Play Selection Manager, you end up picking up the slack.

IS THERE A STANDARD PERCENTAGE OF LOCAL WRITERS? It changes all the time. You’re reading this anonymously; you have no idea who this is from. We’re adamant about

DO THE PLAYWRIGHTS PARTICIPATE BEYOND THE FIRST SCRIPT SUBMISSION? We’re all about playwrights, and we stress over and over again to all the directors and companies that the play-

WHAT IS THE BEST PART? I love working with playwrights. I think collaborative effort with a playwright working on a new piece with a theater is very exciting. For the most part, I’ve always been lucky enough to get playwrights that are open to my suggestions.

Years ago, I told a playwright, “This is missing something. You need another character,” and he actually rewrote it and added a character which made all the difference. That’s very exciting to me.

I do it because I love the process. I love when a playwright is involved. It’s how they see what works and what doesn’t. And if they want to do a rewrite, we do a rewrite.

•

WAS IT A CONSCIOUS DECISION FOR YOU TO INCLUDE MORE WOMEN IN RESONANCE WORKS’ PROGRAMMING? Yes, definitely. Unfortunately, when you look at the programming of almost all musical organizations, the composers are still almost exclusively men. The industry is making some strides in recent years, but “strides” means the percentage of pieces by women is still in the single digits. It is notable when major American orchestras perform more than one piece by a woman in a season, which is sad, considering we are more than half the population!

.MUSIC.

#METOO WORKS

BY LISA CUNNINGHAM LCUNNING@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

I

N THE MOST recent season of 15

major orchestras worldwide, 94.7 percent of concerts presented only works by male composers, according to a study by Drama Musica. But Pittsburgh performing arts company Resonance Works Pittsburgh and its founder Maria Sensi Sellner are working to change that.

At least half of the composers in Resonance Works’ upcoming programming, starting with its 2019-2020 season announcement last week, will be women. It’s something that has always been important to Sellner, both as the principal conductor and the artistic and general director of the company she founded in 2013.

The upcoming season includes a new take on Giuseppe Verdi’s opera Rigoletto in the context of the #MeToo movement.

Resonance Works will partner with

RESONANCE WORKS resonanceworks.org PHOTO: ALISA INNOCENTI

Maria Sensi Sellner conducts the Resonance Chamber Orchestra.

Pittsburgh Action Against Rape (PAAR) for the May 2020 performances, to help the group “create discussion and awareness about the issues, including sexual assault.”

CP talked to Semler about the upcoming season. You can read the full interview at pghcitypaper.com.

It’s true that for a long, long time, women were not encouraged to be composers, and so there isn’t as much repertoire from those eras, though it does exist. Today there [is] a myriad magnificent composers who are women, but since audiences are still used to it being such a rarity, it will take some effort to change the paradigm. That is what we are aiming for — to show the

audiences in Pittsburgh what gender equity in programming looks like, while continuing to create unique and intimate performances as we have done for our first six seasons. You won’t find a program in our season where the point is to have a concert of music by women.

YOU WILL BE WORKING WITH LOCAL ADVOCACY GROUP, PITTSBURGH ACTION AGAINST RAPE, FOR A PRODUCTION TACKLING THE #METOO MOVEMENT. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE WITH THIS PARTNERSHIP? The stories of many classic operas can feel very removed from our society today, with people in corsets and hoop skirts and the like, and the depiction and treatment of women feels very distant and antiquated. But the truth is that many of these stories do have modern relevance, unfortunately. Our production of Rigoletto will update the story to the 1930s and will look at Gilda’s story through the lens of the #MeToo movement. By partnering with PAAR, we aim to have a discussion about the very relevant current issues portrayed in the opera, as well as amplify their message, increasing awareness of the important work they do.

•

Follow editor-in-chief Lisa Cunningham on Twitter @trashyleesuh

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REDNECK REELS

BY AMANDA WALTZ AWALTZ@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

PHOTO: MGMARSHALL PHOTOGRAPHY

Joe Bob Briggs

Between 1996 and 2000, fans of horror, B-movies, and general shlock flipped on TNT for MonsterVision, a weekly TV show hosted by drive-in film critic Joe Bob Briggs.

In 2018, Briggs — the stage name of writer and performer, John Bloom — returned with The Last Drive-In, a successful MonsterVision revival on the streaming platform Shudder. He’s also on the road with How Rednecks Saved Hollywood, a one-man touring show playing Sat., June 29 at the Regent Square Theater.

While the title might recall so-called hixploitation — a film sub-genre that relies on stereotypical portrayals of rural, Southern whites — Briggs says the show goes beyond that.

“It goes HOW REDNECKS into the SAVED HOLLYWOOD whole history WITH JOE BOB BRIGGS of the 8 p.m. Sat., June 29. redneck in 1035 S. Braddock Ave., America and Regent Square. $25. filmmakers.pfpca.org the whole history of how rednecks are used in films, both in exploitation films and in mainstream films,” says Briggs, a born Texan who, in the past, has drawn controversy by using his own persona to portray rednecks as abusive, bigoted reactionaries. “In exploitation films, they tend to be heroes. In mainstream films, they tend to be the villains. But that’s overgeneralizing.”

The live show covers redneck caricatures in films like the low-rent swamp thriller Gator Bait, as well as in celebrated Hollywood fares like Forrest Gump and Sling Blade. A description also promises to give visual evidence as to why the redneck is the scariest monster in all of film history.

Briggs says he regards Pittsburgh as the birthplace of modern horror because of George A. Romero, and divulges that the city is included the festivities.

“Pennsylvania in general, but also Pittsburgh, are sort of part of the show,” he says. “So it’s very appropriate that I do it here.” •

FOR FULL INTERVIEW, GO TO PGHCITYPAPER.COM 30

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

PHOTO: JONATHAN PRIME/UNIVERSAL PICTURES

Himesh Patel in Yesterday

.FILM.

GOING NOWHERE, MAN

BY HANNAH LYNN // HLYNN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

T

HE LATEST CINEMATIC ode to The

Beatles meekly attempts to answer its own pointless question: what if The Beatles never existed? Sorry, what if they did exist, but then an unexplained blackout causes any proof of their existence to be erased from the Earth, except for the memory of one aspiring singer? Despite its occasional charm, Yesterday, directed by Danny Boyle, is a saccharine, oversimplified, and deranged homage to the music of The Beatles.

Jack Malik (Himesh Patel) wants to be a successful singer, but he’s stuck playing bars, birthday parties, and empty festival tents. His biggest fan is his manager Ellie (Lily James, never not charming), who is biased because she’s secretly in love with him. After a particularly sparse gig, Jack decides to quit. While riding home on his bike, the entire world experiences a 12second blackout, causing a bus to hit him. When he awakes in the hospital, he discovers that none of his friends remember The Beatles, and there are no traces of them online. Even his record collection is absent of their music.

Other things have disappeared too, like Coca-Cola and Oasis, but he only

cares about The Beatles. After realizing this cataclysmic shift in the universe, Jack’s immediate instinct is to furiously jot down as many lyrics and chords to Beatles’ songs as he can remember, so he can play them and get famous.

And famous he gets! One thing leads to another, and Ed Sheeran (Ed Sheeran) brings Jack on tour, connects him with a manager, and puts him on the fast track to fame. The track to fame is so fast because every Beatles song is the most beautiful, incredible song anyone has ever heard. Ellie, whose main personality trait is that she’s Jack’s number one fan, can’t come along on the journey because she’s a school teacher.

Their longtime friendship maintains, but when Ellie starts seeing someone else, Jack realizes he’s losing what’s truly important. (How he realizes this is too deranged to spoil.)

Given the outlandishness of the premise, you’d think Yesterday would do more with its question, maybe venturing into Twilight Zone-type territory.

Instead, the film takes the simplest, lamest possible route. It’s like if someone asked, “Do you want to go the scenic route? It will only take a minute longer,” and you replied, “No, I’d rather go

YESTERDAY Directed by Danny Boyle. Starring Himesh Patel, Lily James. Opens Fri., June 28.

by the strip malls.” Boyle and screenwriter Richard Curtis could’ve thoughtfully examined whether or not The Beatles’ music would be as popular in 2019 as it was in 1964, instead of automatically assuming it would be.

When Jack finally meets two others who also remember The Beatles, they thank him for keeping the music alive, saying “a world without The Beatles is a world that’s infinitely worse.” If The Beatles hadn’t existed, the world would be different, but still normal. A more intriguing story would be one where Jack plays Beatles songs, and they don’t become popular. Or maybe one that examines Jack plagiarizing The Beatles, who themselves plagiarized often.

It also can’t be stressed enough how casually the movie dismisses these massive global changes. It’s casually mentioned, for example, that cigarettes don’t exist. Cigarettes! Can you imagine?

A movie about an alternate timeline where cigarettes are erased from the memory of all but a few people is way more fascinating than what would happen if a British boy band disappeared.

Even for the biggest Beatles fan, this movie won’t hold much appeal.

It doesn’t reimagine the band’s music or reinvigorate their songs with new life. And honestly, the morning after watching it, the song that was stuck in my head was “Shape of You.”

•

.CULTURE.

CHANNELING GRIEF

BY SARAH CONNOR INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

A

T FIRST GLANCE, 21-year-old Erin

Noelle seems like an average, though extremely well-puttogether and fashionable, college student.

She spends most of her days working in retail at Ulta Beauty and Kate Spade, while also commuting to classes at Community College of Allegheny County.

However, the Wexford native is known to more than 130,000 subscribers for her eponymous YouTube channel.

Noelle launched her channel in 2015 when she was a junior at North Allegheny Senior High School. She focused on making videos related to makeup and fashion and gained a following with the very first video she posted, a tutorial with a popular eye shadow palette.

Noelle was surprised how quickly things took off.

“I was thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, where are these views coming from?’” she says. “I remember telling my mom when it passed 100,000 views and she was like, ‘Who are these people? Do you know them?’”

Noelle was 17 when that first video — which now has 350,000 views — set her YouTube career in motion. Four years later, Noelle’s most popular video has 2.5 million views, and she is often recognized by subscribers in public. She also has over 30,000 followers on Instagram.

Noelle makes money from her channel through ad revenue from YouTube and working with sponsors such as the beauty, fashion, and fitness subscription box company, FabFitFun. She adds that the sponsorships are enough to help her pay for college.

For Noelle, a big part of being a social media personality is being transparent with her audience. This includes sharing the experience of losing her longtime boyfriend in a car accident in 2017. Her late boyfriend, Ryan McCutcheon, was featured on her channel multiple times throughout their five-year relationship, so Noelle made a video discussing her loss. That video is no longer public on her channel — Noelle received many uncomfortably negative comments on it — but when it was still viewable to the public it had 7 million views.

“The reason why I first posted that video was because Ryan was a part of my channel, he was in videos, [my

CP PHOTO: JARED MURPHY

Erin Noelle

subscribers] knew who he was,” Noelle says. “A lot of people were commenting and saying, ‘This is the kind of content that you need to keep to yourself,’ but first of all, my channel is about myself, and second, if I were just to pick up and keep going and never explain what happened, I feel like that would have been so inappropriate.”

“ERIN NOELLE” on YouTube

Since the tragedy, Noelle has been open about her grieving process on social media. She has found a balance between sharing her story and keeping elements of her personal life private, and has found a community of people who understand what she’s been through in the process.

“Right after Ryan died, I just kept saying that no one else has gone

through this, nobody else in this world knows what it’s like to feel the way that I do right now,” she says. “But then I posted that video and I started connecting with girls that have also lost boyfriends or fiancés or that had been through something similar, and that was so eye-opening.”

She said the women who had similar experiences gave her assurance and motivation, and everyone in the community makes the effort to “lift each other up.” With this encouragement, Noelle has found the strength to move forward, and despite the negativity, heartbreak, and tragedy, is looking forward to a future with what she calls “a new normal.”

Noelle is planning to transfer to a four-year college in the spring, has started dating again, and has kept to a schedule of posting multiple videos per month, something she attributes to her strong work ethic.

“Everything I have, I’ve worked for — my camera equipment, my clothes,” Noelle says. “I feel like people might see me in a Kate Spade dress and think, ‘Oh, her parents must have bought that for her,’ but that’s not it. I’ve always worked for what I have, and I always will.”

When it comes to her future with YouTube, she plans to keep at it for as long as she can. Noelle has been taking things day by day, and addressed her audience in a recent video with, “I have been so stressed out, so busy, but, I’m really happy. I don’t want to get emotional, but I’m very content with where I am with my life right now.”

•

The Rhythm19 Fund, established by Ryan McCutcheon’s family through the Pittsburgh Foundation, accepts donations to support local high school music programs in McCutcheon’s memory.

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JUNE 26-JULY 3, 2019

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PHOTO: GO REALTY

Artist’s rendering of Allegheny Stables

.ARCHITECTURE.

CLOSING THE BARN DOOR

BY CHARLES ROSENBLUM // CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

P

UT A POLITICIAN on a horse for a publicity event and the jokes seem to write themselves. Outgoing North Side City Councilor Darlene Harris was a good sport when she actually got in the saddle, with some apparent hesitation, on one of six horses present at a June 12 ribbon cutting. The project involves the renovation and addition to a historic building at 836 West North Avenue in the Allegheny West neighborhood.

The building is the old Allegheny City Stables, which, dating from 1895, is the last remaining municipal building

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of the former Allegheny City. The horses were thematic props for the event, and a bit of an amusing distraction from a project that combines a terrific success in preservation with a surprisingly generic component of new construction in a $7.5 million development of 36 residential units and related amenities.

The building was almost lost in 2007 when a developer threatened to demolish it, but the Allegheny West Civic Association nominated it to be a local historic landmark. The architectural style, most often described as Romanesque, really teeters toward the

Renaissance, or more notably the personal invention in ornament of some capable bricklayers in the 1890s. Either way, it’s a beloved example of lost craft and an irreplaceable repository of neighborhood memory. The effort to find a sympathetic developer to oversee its reuse was especially challenging.

“It’s a positive development for our neighborhood that we are preserving our history while building brand new residences,” says Allegheny West resident and former Historic Review Commission Chair John DeSantis.

And Go Realty has been notably

conscientious in working with the neighborhood to get the renovation just right. Longtime resident Carole Malakoff is chair of Allegheny West’s Local Review Committee, which is responsible for giving feedback to renovators of historic properties to ensure that their work meets guidelines established by the city’s Historic Review Commission.

“They have met with us every month I think for the past six months” to get the details right, she says.

The shortcoming has been with the proposed new construction. One Allegheny West resident, who asked not to be

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Bill Peduto and Darlene Harris at the groundbreaking ceremony for Allegheny Stables

identified, commented, “It looks like all the other buildings they are building in the Strip or East Liberty.”

The developers and their architect, Jim McMullan of Jaimeson Ellis Architects, didn’t break any rules. In 2016, they presented to the Historic Review Commission for feedback, and they were responsive to various instructions, including an order to refrain from having new construction on the roof of the old building. Overall, they had a scheme for a much better design, one that aimed to match the materials and proportions of the historic building very closely.

Perhaps too closely? Historic Review Commission (HRC) members, documented in official transcripts, wanted the new building to look a bit less like the old to maintain a distinction between what is original and what is contemporary.

The question of whether new construction in a historic district should mimic original structures or distinguish itself by contrast is an ongoing debate in preservation. Current tastes and the current HRC lean toward differentiation rather than close matches. The developers and their architect took those instructions to heart a bit too much and redesigned the scheme as currently documented.

Also, while they continued to work with the Local Review Committee (LRC) to get the details of the Stables renovation just right, they never returned to the HRC. They didn’t have to. The building is a historic landmark, but the adjacent

vacant property is not, so it is not subject to historic review.

The HRC followed the rules in asking for a building that contrasted with its environment, and Go Realty followed the rules in opting out of further review, but in fact the earlier, more historic-looking scheme would have been better with only a few tweaks.

... IT’S A BELOVED EXAMPLE OF LOST CRAFT AND AN IRREPLACEABLE REPOSITORY OF NEIGHBORHOOD MEMORY. But there will be no going back.

The design released on June 12 is “shovel ready” according to developer Alan Reichert.

At the time of writing, the developer and architect were scheduled to have a further meeting with the LRC to refine the design of the Stables entry for greater historical accuracy — quite literally fixing the barn door. Harris has relinquished her mount as scheduled, but the thing that has gone missing is not a horse, but rather a better design for the building addition.

•

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BY EDWARD BANCHS // CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

T

HE IDEA FOR organizing a heavy

metal festival in her hometown struck Deb Levine while she was performing with her band, Lady Beast, at California’s Frost and Fire Festival last October. “We were sitting at this little bar at our Airbnb and we were just making jokes: ‘What if we made our own little fest? How cool would that be?’”

Upon returning from the Golden State, Levine started pursuing the idea more seriously and wasted little time getting to work. “I just went right at it … there wasn’t enough time to be lazy,” she says.

Nine months later, Metal Immortal Festival is making its debut at Mr. Smalls in Millvale on Sat., June 29.

The festival features nine bands and is co-headlined by California’s Night Demon and Canadian staple Razor.

Bands will perform on the Funhouse stage and the main stage at Mr. Smalls, without any overlap between sets.

Also featured on the bill are Kentucky’s Savage Master, Ohio’s Destructor and Outline, New York’s Final Curse, West Virginia’s Iron Flame, and Pittsburgh’s Legendry. An after-festival show will be held at Cattivo in Lawrenceville.

Mike Campagnolo of Razor — who will be making its Pittsburgh debut — feels that festivals like this are perfect for their band because of the diverse crowds

they bring. For Razor, this festival was an easy decision. “Deb seemed really genuine on what she’s trying to do with this Metal Immortal Fest 2019, and hopefully it becomes a popular outlet for metal fans for years to come in Pittsburgh!”

METAL IMMORTAL FESTIVAL 4 p.m. Sat., June 29. Mr. Smalls Theatre, 400 Lincoln Ave., Millvale. $40. mrsmalls.com

For Savage Master, the return to Pittsburgh came from the confidence they had in the event and Levine herself after crossing paths with Lady Beast in the past. “It’s really cool being on a fest that is put on by someone as trustworthy and all around fun as [Levine],” says Savage Master’s Stacey Savage.

Metal Immortal will also feature local vendors as well as from up the east coast.

Fans will be able to shop for memorabilia, albums, jewelry, and horror masks.

A student filmmaker from the George A. Romero Filmmaking Program will also be documenting the event.

Saturday night also marks 10 years of Lady Beast, who kick off the evening on the main stage with a few surprises for longtime fans. Performing and running the festival has its own sets of challenges and stress, yet Levine wants this festival to be tied to Lady Beast, noting that the

name of the festival comes from one of the band’s releases.

As a first-time festival runner, Levine navigated a whole new side of metal shows, like raising money to support the acts, finding the equipment, and flying some of the bands into Pittsburgh. She personally reached out to the local heavy metal community for support with fundraising, collecting metal-themed memorabilia, and hosting auctions.

“I have a hard time asking for help in general, but I never like asking for money … I’m just working the hard way here,” says Levine.

She also took up other jobs for extra money, notably teaching a dance class.

“I taught a weekly Zumba class to raise money, which was cool. All of these punk and metal chicks were showing up, and we were dancing for an hour together,” she says.

While Levine has learned a lot about planning a festival and become more confident for what the future of Metal Immortal could look like, she’s realistic about what’s in store. There’s a lot more to learn and this is all still new to her.

“I’m in no hurry,” says Levine. “I feel like at this point, you know, playing in bands after 12 years, I finally have an arsenal of contacts that are not just punks in a basement … I feel like I finally realize that I have what it takes to do it.”

•

.JUST JAGGIN’.

POP-UP CULTURE

BY JOSH OSWALD JOSWALD@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

P

OP-UP BARS are like lemonade

stands for adults. But instead of supporting a couple of school kids trying to earn cash to buy Go-GURT and Surge, you’re giving your money to someone with a bad Michael’s habit who loves to make themed cocktails that contain Blue Curacao.

A well-thought-out pop-up bar can be alluring. I would patronize a bar modeled after the Cafe 80s from Back to the Future II. Who wouldn’t?

It’s just that there are so many pop-up bars opening at such a high frequency, that the only way to delineate between which might actually be a fun, good idea and which are just lazy pop-culture or nostalgia grabs is to eliminate booze from the equation.

I know what you’re thinking, there are a lot of activities people wouldn’t normally do if they weren’t drinking, like

go to the office, church, the gym, make a phone call, write this article. So, that’s not fair. But for the sake of argument, let’s walk through the following examples of real pop-up bar themes I found with some quick googling. And let’s apply what I’ve coined as The Pittsburgh City

Paper Sobriety Metric for Pop-Up Bars.

Would you go sober to a Family Guythemed establishment rife with 40-yearolds mangling Stewie quotes and Rhode Island accents? I wouldn’t do that drunk.

Without the promise of alcohol, do you have the gumption to enter a dimly lit

Follow digital media manager Josh Oswald on Twitter @gentlemenRich

building that used to be Pizza Hut to sit on the floor building Lego castles with other sober strangers? Do you want to see a Salacious Crumb puppet made by a bartender? OK. It’s a maybe on the puppet. But you get the point.

The following is a quote from travelandleisure.com regarding the Pokémonthemed bar that is coming to Pittsburgh in October. I have applied the Sobriety Metric for you. Read it slowly and absorb every ounce of discomfort this bar has to offer. “Amongst the many treats that wannabe Pokémon Masters will get to enjoy will be a live DJ, themed cocktails, Pokémon trivia, and a costume contest with lots of prizes, Gothamist reported.

A ticket also covers a meal, which is your choice of a Pokémon burger with buns that look like Pikachu, Charmander, and Squirtle.” Ew! Could you imagine asking someone for a “Squirtle” without being blackout drunk? I hope not.

I’m not trying to say that all pop-up bars are a trifling waste of time, though 99 percent probably are. I’m just asking that the gatekeepers of public alcohol consumption to apply a bit more integrity to their choices. Don’t half-ass an Avengers pop-up bar just to leach off a billion-dollar franchise. Full-ass your pop-up bar with a theme you really care about.

•

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JUNE 26-JULY 3, 2019

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PHOTO: POINT PARK INTERNATIONAL SUMMER DANCE

A dance student performs at Point Park University.

.DANCE.

SUMMER SCHOOL

BY STEVE SUCATO // CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

I

N THE ERA of the “staycation,” many

parents are looking to apply that concept to their child’s summer dance education by staying close to home.

For more than 30 years, Point Park University’s International Summer Dance program (ISD) has been a destination for more than 200 dance students ages 10 and older from across the country and the globe. The multifaceted, multidisciplinary program is a plum choice for locals looking for quality dance training in their own backyard.

With admittance by audition-only, ISD, running June 17- July 27, is a three or six-week program that offers students specialized dance training in everything from ballet, tap, jazz, and modern to voice, acting, yoga, and Pilates. The classes take place at Point Park’s state of the art Downtown studios, taught by nationally and internationally recognized teaching artists, choreographers, and directors. Some classes include live

musical accompaniment.

“What separates our program from so many others is it is so well-rounded,” says ISD artistic director, Susan Stowe. “The mix of technique classes in dance, voice, and acting make our students a triple threat and I see that as making them employable in the future.”

VISIT POINTPARK.EDU/SUMMERDANCE FOR MORE INFORMATION Students attending the full summer session also have the opportunity to perform in program-ending, public dance showcases, something not offered by many summer dance programs. In addition, students can partake in specialty seminars on health and extra-curricular activities such as organized trips to Kennywood or the Pittsburgh CLO. For the college-minded high school

junior or senior, there is also the opportunity to audition for artistic admittance to Point Park’s Conservatory of Dance.

“We have had hundreds of kids come through the summer program, love it, and then matriculate into the university dance program,” says Stowe. “Some of them have come back as teachers for the summer program.”

One such student-turned-teacher is Pittsburgh-native Michael Caye, who attended the program for four summers beginning at age 10.

“The special thing about Point Park’s summer program is that you get a variety of teachers every week,” says Caye. “Each week is like a clean slate, with new techniques for every dance style.”

Caye, a dancer with Nevada Ballet Theatre, says he learned to take risks in his training during the ISD. “They told me to jump higher, spin faster, and to always push myself.”

Buenos Aires, Argentina-native and

Follow featured contributing writer Steve Sucato on Twitter @ssucato

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former Washington Ballet dancer Lucas Segovia tells of similar growth during his two summers in the ISD program.

“I took my first ballet lesson ever at Point Park at age 16,” says Segovia. “I learned the value of classical technique, rehearsal professionalism, the care of the body as an instrument and of the dedication of my teachers who have devoted their entire lives to this art form.

It was truly life-changing for me.”

With the option to commute to classes or, for students 16 and older, to live on campus, the ISD program’s fees range from $1400 for a three-week commuter session to $5600 for a sixweek session with room and board.

A special two-week summer dance workshop option is also available.

In-person auditions for ISD 2020 take place in April and March in Pittsburgh and locations across the country.

Prospective students can also audition via DVD, YouTube, or Vimeo.

•

PHOTO: ARCHIE CARPENTER

The cast of Oklahoma!

.STAGE.

OH, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL MUSICAL

BY EMILY WOLFE // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

B

ETWEEN THE LYRICS, the exclamation point in the title, and the sheer number of stalks onstage, musical theater doesn’t get much cornier than Oklahoma!

Pittsburgh CLO’s production is the “classic” version of the 1943 Rodgers and Hammerstein hit, not the sexy, modernized revival that took home two Tony Awards earlier this month.

This Oklahoma! carries you through its two-and-a-half hour runtime with the buoyant earnestness it’s always had. And, as they always have, the darker, sharper edges of the musical are lurking just behind that earnestness.

Most of the story takes place in real time, over the course of a single, somewhat dramatic evening. Here’s the plot: Farmgirl Laurey (Sara Jean Ford) has to decide whether to go to a party with Curly (Nicholas Rodriguez), the nicest, cutest cowboy around, or her family’s scary hired hand Jud (Matt Faucher).

That’s about it. Along the way, there are dream ballets, group dances heavily

influenced by Agnes de Mille’s original choreography, show-stopping musical numbers — Ashley Blanchet as Ado Annie, involved in a love triangle of her own, is a comic standout — and the answer to the age-old question, “Should the farmer and the cowman be friends?”

(The answer, of course, is yes, they should!) It’s everything people who say they hate musicals hate about musicals, and it’s executed perfectly here.

OKLAHOMA! Through June 30. Pittsburgh CLO at Benedum Center, 719 Liberty Ave., Downtown. $26-81. pittsburghclo.org

The gorgeous set, complete with cornfields and more than one map of the Oklahoma territory — you know, like the title of the show, goes a long way. So does the leading cast. Rodriguez and Ford have great chemistry, and his sincere, classical tenor complements her sweetly playful soprano in the

pair’s big duet, “People will say we’re in love.” Laurey playing hard to get with Curly feels more dated than anything in the show, but Ford does strong character work to make it legitimate, and anyway, Rodgers and Hammerstein have committed worse crimes against women.

Ford has a particular talent for playing Laurey’s nervousness around Jud that makes his brooding adoration of her even more threatening, so when the extent of his darkness reveals itself — and Laurey’s nervousness turns to terror — we understand that she, like us, has only had her worst suspicions confirmed.

There is, of course, a happy ending.

And you’d never mistake any Oklahoma! number for a new composition. But although the boys are wearing leather chaps and the girls are in bloomers and poofy skirts, the show doesn’t feel out of date. This Oklahoma! is proof that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel to make it fit a 21st-century surrey.

•

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JUNE 26-JULY 3, 2019

37

PHOTO: MOLLY MYKICH

Fish by Molly Mykich

.ART . .

WILD THINGS

BY AMANDA WALTZ // AWALTZ@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

T

HE PURPOSE OF Wild Things, an upcoming juried exhibition in Wilkinsburg, extends beyond just showcasing art. Its opening reception on Sat., June 29 will serve as the official debut of the Casey Droege Cultural Productions (CDCP) Project Space, a new artist-run, woman-owned business located in the former Percolate Gallery.

It will also raise awareness about — and work to support — a diverse variety of artists in the area.

The group show will feature paintings, drawings, and photography, as well as some sculptures, from 34 local artists. A press release describes the exhibit as a way to “celebrate, deconstruct, embellish, and challenge how we interact with nature on a daily basis.”

All the artists were chosen through an open call for submission.

“It’s a very eclectic show,” says Casey Droege, executive director of CDCP Project Space. “It’s definitely an

interesting group of work.”

Droege says Wild Things will mark the space’s full transition from Percolate to CDCP Project Space. As part of that process, former Percolate director, Carolyn Pierotti, stepped in as a juror and curator for the show. Pierotti will also stay on as a board member for CDCP Project Space.

Included in the exhibition are pieces from eight artists from Creative Citizen Studios (CCS), a women-owned arts and advocacy organization that seeks to build bridges between the arts and disabilities communities. Founded in 2012, CCS holds weekly professional visual arts classes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

It also creates opportunities for adult artists with developmental and intellectual disabilities to produce, exhibit, and sell their work.

Droege hopes that Wild Things will help broaden the audience for CCS artists.

“The goal of the show … is really to help the public see a lot of these CCS artists as artists,” says Droege. “There is this great mixture of work, and you’re not thinking about the artist’s ability.

You’re just taking in the work.”

WILD THINGS OPENING RECEPTION AT CDCP PROJECT SPACE 6-8:30 p.m. Sat., June 29.

Continues through Sat., July 27.

317 South Trenton Ave., Wilkinsburg. Free. caseydroege.com/projectspace

Droege, an artist and self-dubbed cultural producer, originally created CDCP as a way to boost the Pittsburgh arts community by “offering accessible, quality art experiences that connect the local and the global, encourage the growth of a local arts economy and

Follow senior writer Amanda Waltz on Twitter @AWaltzCP

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build a diverse arts audience,” according to its website. Past and continuing CDCP projects include the artist lecture series, SIX x ATE, the annual PGH Photo Fair at the Carnegie Museum of Art, and Small Mall, a Lawrencevillebased retail space selling locally made art and design objects.

Moving into the Wilkinsburg building gives CDCP another venue to spread its mission of supporting artists. The space will include a Small Mall, while the back will host exhibitions or more experimental projects.

“The goal for Small Mall overall is to really help Pittsburgh engage with buying art,” says Droege, adding that CDCP keeps everything “really affordable” and only carries work from artists within 100 miles of Pittsburgh. “We want to make sure that people, instead of running to Target to buy a poster, they can buy a print from us and support somebody locally.”

•

.LITERATURE.

SOLVING FOR WHY

BY REGE BEHE CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

G

ROWING UP IN Newburgh, NY, James Patterson wanted to follow the paths of Bob Cousy, Bob Pettit, Bill Russell, and the other basketball stars of the 1950s. He was going to devote himself to basketball.

But his grandmother interceded.

“My grandmother told me, ‘You can do what you want to do, you’re a bright kid,’” Patterson says, noting he was only five feet 11 inches tall. “‘But if you’re not No. 1 in your class, I’m going to be pissed off at you.’ She said, ‘You’re not going to play in the NBA, you can forget about that.’ That was wise, because I had these delusions of grandeur.”

To date, Patterson has sold more than 300 million copies of his books worldwide and has an estimated net worth of more than $750 million, according to Money Inc. Patterson is a tireless literacy advocate, having donated more than one million books to children’s and veteran’s organizations.

His philanthropy includes the James Patterson Teacher Education Scholarships, which provide scholarships to students at more than 20 universities; donations of $1 million to independent bookstores in 2014; and $1.25 million in grants to K-12 classroom libraries through a partnership with Scholastic in 2019.

Patterson will appear Thu., June 27 at

James Patterson

JAMES PATTERSON 6 p.m. Thu., June 27. Carnegie Library Lecture Hall, 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland. $35, includes hardback copy of Unsolved. pittsburghlectures.org

Carnegie Library Lecture Hall in Oakland as a guest of Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures’ New & Noted series.

Patterson’s literary empire includes the Alex Cross novels (notably Along Came a Spider and Kiss the Girls); golfthemed books (Miracle at St. Andrews); children’s and young-adult titles including the Middle School series; and the BookShots series, romance stories of about 150 pages that sell for under $5.

His latest novel, Unsolved (Little, Brown), is a collaboration with mystery writer David Ellis, and Patterson’s website lists four more books — also col-

laborations — scheduled to be released in 2019.

While he writes seven days a week (and reads three or four books every week), Patterson’s ideas outpace the time he’d need to finish every book. “I can’t do all these stories myself,” Patterson says.

“When I was doing the BookShots, that year [2017] I wrote two books by myself and 2,600 pages of outlines, if you can imagine that. And my outlines are always three or four drafts.”

Patterson’s passion for books and writing fuels his desire to promote children’s literacy. While it’s a basic

Follow featured contributor Rege Behe on Twitter @RegeBehe_exPTR

building block of any education, reading, Patterson believes, can make children feel more comfortable “in their own skin” and recognize that there are others just like them.

But most importantly, Patterson believes children’s literacy saves lives.

“Lots of lives,” he says. “If kids aren’t competent readers, how do they get through school? … I go to prisons, and it’s primarily young males. A lot of them are big readers now because they have nothing else to do. Had they been readers in grade school and high school, a lot of them wouldn’t be there because they would have had more options. So it’s hugely important, especially kids who are reading below grade levels, that we get them to be competent readers.”

That’s why he makes a point of donating books to schools through the James Patterson and Scholastic Reading Club. What good are incentives to read if the schools themselves can’t afford stocked libraries?

Patterson insists books have to be priorities, in both homes and in schools.

“We have to imagine that,” he says.

“And the newspapers in this country have to imagine it. I’m not blaming you or the newspapers in Pittsburgh, but newspapers have to write about these things.

“The presidential debates are going to start soon. Last time around, they did nine debates or something like that.

And no one talked about education. Are they crazy? Education is the future of this country. The better the education, the more people are going to be better thinkers. They’re going to be better everything, better spouses. It goes right across the board in terms of compassion and thinking things through.”

•

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JUNE 26-JULY 3, 2019

39

SEVEN DAYS OF ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT

PHOTO: ANDREW JONES

^ Sat., June 29: Kaiju Big Battel

THURSDAY JUNE 27 LIT City of Asylum hosts Kristie Knights for Stories That Heal, an ongoing reading series that showcases local authors who have experience dealing with mental illness. For this next installment, Knights will discuss UnSung Heroes, a collection of stories from 34 authors who have battled thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts, and have lived under the stigma attached to mental illness. 7-8 p.m.

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40 W. North Ave, North Side. Free. alphabetcity.org

DANCE fireWALL Dance Theater presents Error, an experimental multimedia dance piece that explores mental health through a video game. Combining dance, music, and video, the piece is organized into “levels”: the fight against depression and toxic relationships, anxiety, social anxiety, and addiction.

The work confronts “whether our digital and real selves can work together and get us out of the game alive — or does something go wrong that leads us all the way back to the start.” Choreographed

by Elisa-Maria Alaio. 7 p.m. Continues through Sun., June 30. Carnegie Stage, 25 W. Main St., Carnegie. $20. firewalldance.com

FRIDAY

STAGE

FEST

Electra is a messy family drama from the mind that brought you Oedipus Rex. It involves all the good stuff you’d expect from a Sophocles play: concubines, murder, revenge, steamy revelations, a character named “old man.” Little Lake Theatre stages the show through July 13, directed by artistic director Jena Oberg. 8 p.m.

500 Lakeside Drive, Canonsburg. $20. littlelake.org/electra

Enter the wizarding world of Harry Potter at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Potterfest brings fans together for a family-friendly night of magic. Find out if owls can actually deliver mail. Meet fantastical, live animals in Care of Magical Creatures. Visit the department of mysteries to discover your true patronus. Don’t forget to wear your best robe! 6-9 p.m. 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland. $13.50-20. carnegiemnh.org

JUNE 28

PHOTO: JONNA BANKO

^ Fri., June 27: Error

COMEDY A decade after Downtown’s iconic gay bar closed its doors, Pegasus rises from the ashes in the form of a full-length comedic play. Staged on Liberty Avenue, right down the street from where the LGBTQ dance club resided from 1980 to 2009, Arcade Comedy Theater presents Pegasus! as part of their month-long Pride Celebration.

If it’s anything like the original, expect drag queens, dancing men without shirts, and tons of fun. 8 p.m.

943 Liberty Ave., Downtown. $12. arcadecomedytheater.com

SATURDAY JUNE 29 EVENT Downtown and Point State Park will play host to a variety of Juneteenth events celebrating the day in 1865 on which the news of slavery abolition reached Galveston, Texas, as well as the emancipation of enslaved African Americans throughout the former

Confederate States of America. The day includes a parade, a soul food barbecue competition, live tribute bands, and a memorial march for Antwon Rose II. You can also honor the late television host Don Cornelius by helping to break the world record for longest Soul Train dance line. Various times and locations. Free. facebook.com/WPAJuneteenth

EVENT For the last year, members of HackPGH and the Department of City Planning have worked with the Uptown community to create a public art project in Tustin Park. See what they came up with when they unveil ProjectCONNECT with a block party showcasing what’s described as an “innovative and utilitarian public art project.” Part of the Uptown Public Art Program, ProjectCONNECT features two solarpowered charging stations, free public WiFi, and artistic elements, all of which are meant to “represent the history, equality, and united community voice of Uptown.” 4-11 p.m. 2028 Tustin St., Uptown. Free. uptownpartners.org CONTINUES ON PG. 42

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JUNE 26-JULY 3, 2019

41

CALENDAR, CONTINUED FROM PG. 41

PHOTO: TIFFANY DECOSMO

^ Sun., June 30: yArt Sale

ART

local artists all year with classes, community events, and exhibits held inside its Shadyside campus. But once a year, the center takes the artwork outside for its annual yArt Sale, where visitors can buy artwork from nearly 70 local artists. Trade in the weekend yard sales of used toys and neglected furniture for handcrafted ceramics, photographs, prints, and jewelry.

10 a.m. The Shop at Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, 6300 Fifth Ave., Shadyside.

Free. center.pfpca.org

What better place than a book store for an art exhibit focused on the power of words to inspire and impact change? BREATHE, an art exhibit featuring only Black artists, is inspired by Eric Garner’s last words, “I can’t breathe.” City Books will unveil the exhibit, curated by local artist Grits Capone and co-produced with Deeper Than Grits Studio, with an opening featuring a BREATHE soundtrack by DJs Arie Cole and Eyejay. 7 p.m.

Continues through Sat., Aug. 24.

Iamb Gallery in City Books, 908 Galveston Ave., North Side. citybookspgh.com

ART

BATTEL The Cultural Trust brings back monster wrestling from Kaiju Big Battel, this time with a Pittsburgh twist. In the latest event by Bostonbased performance troupe, Studio Kaiju, the evil Double Unicorn Dark has stolen the “H” from Pittsburgh, resulting in alien beasts, city-crushing monsters, and giant anthropomorphized objects taking to the ring for a knock-down, drag-out fight to the finish. Be sure to take the whole family

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^ Sat., June 29: BREATHE ARTWORK: C.B. PERRY’S “DETROIT RED”

to the Byham Theater for a night you’ll never forget. 8 p.m. 101 Sixth St., Downtown. $25. trustarts.org

SUNDAY JUNE 30 ART Pittsburgh Center for the Arts celebrates

Spinning Plate Art Gallery hosts Refiguring Ourselves, a new art exhibit featuring the work of 12 different local artists. The exhibit features a variety of media, including painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, video, and more, all of which “take a look at the figure / surface and interior / the beauty of the moment / the scars of memory / the heat of desire / the rising and falling of our selves in this bodily incarnation / what it feels like / what it means / what traces it leaves behind.”

11:30 a.m.-6 p.m. 5821 Baum Blvd., East Liberty. Free. facebook.com/ SpinningPlateGallery

^ Tue., July 2: Elemental Fiber

COMEDY Pittsburgh comedian (and CP columnist) Gab Bonesso hosts The Sunday Sessions, a night of comedy at Brillobox. Artist/comedian/songwriter James Jamison headlines, hopefully playing some hits from his 2017 synth-pop comedy album 11/11 (“Dildo on the Dancefloor,” “Schwasted,” “Horse Planet”). Kicking things off are Arcade Comedy’s student team Select Start, Michael Buzzelli, Rebecca Canterbury, Harriet Riley Lockton, Arla White, and Arvin Clay. 7 p.m.

4104 Penn Ave., Bloomfield. Pay what you can. brilloboxpgh.com

MONDAY JULY 1 HUNT Beginning at the Mystery Lovers Bookshop in Oakmont, visitors are challenged to search the neighborhood for Waldo, the iconic bespectacled character from the popular book series.

The scavenger hunt lasts throughout the month of July, and the last day to participate will be the day of the Oakmont Street Sale on Thu., July 27.

The hunt will conclude with a party and a Waldo look-alike contest. 10 a.m.5 p.m. 514 Allegheny River Blvd., Oakmont. Free. mysterylovers.com

TUESDAY JULY 2 ART Kathy Nida’s quilt art is far from comforting.

The colorful fabrics depict surreal, creepy, intricately detailed scenes with themes of household objects, translucent naked bodies, and cats. Nida takes inspiration for her art from her dreams, so the flamboyant weirdness makes a lot of sense. Get a close-up look at Nida’s amazing quilts at Elemental Fiber at BNY Mellon Satellite Gallery. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Continues through Sun., Aug. 18. 500 Grant St., Downtown. Free. contemporarycraft.org

WEDNESDAY JULY 3 EVENT Shh! This speakeasy is a secret. Local illusionist Seth Neustein, along with DJ TJ Harris, is hosting The Secret Speakeasy: Christmas in July. This exclusive, black tie, password-required event is held at an undisclosed location — the details known only to the 50 guests. Neustein and Harris are using the one-time-only experience to celebrate Christmas in July because, “Naughty or nice … you deserve it.” 7 p.m. $50-75. showclix.com • PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JUNE 26-JULY 3, 2019

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER

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Phipps Conservatory will be holding OPEN INTERVIEWS for GUEST SERVICE ASSOCIATES (PT) every Thursday from 10 am -3 pm from June 20 –July 25, plus select Saturdays (see website for more details!). Permanent positions, as well as seasonal opportunities for the upcoming holiday season, are available. Interested candidates should come to the Welcome Center located at One Schenley Park, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, with a cover letter and resume. For more information, visit www.phippsjobs.org.

OFFICIAL ADVERTISEMENT

THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH Sealed proposals shall be deposited at the Administration Building, Room 251, 341 South Bellefield Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15213, on July 16, 2019, until 2:00 P.M., local prevailing time for:

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NAME CHANGE

NAME CHANGE

NAME CHANGE

NAME CHANGE

NAME CHANGE

IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-19-6297. In re petition of Eric Lamar Gales for change of name to Bishop Eric Lamar Gales. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 1st day of July, 2019, at 9:45 a.m., as the time and the Motions Room, City-County Building, Pittsburgh, PA, as the place for a hearing, when and where all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for

IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-19-8911, In re petition of Ingrid Escobar parent and legal guardian of Jhoaquin Pineda Escobar, for change of name to David Salomon Escobar. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 31st day of July, 2019, at 9:45 a.m., as the time and the Motions Room, City-County Building, Pittsburgh, PA, as the place for a hearing, when and where all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for

IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-19-7118, In re petition of Darcel Connally parent and legal guardian of Kaeleb Mycale Radeshak, for change of name to Kaeleb Daniel White. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 24th day of July, 2019, at 9:45 a.m., as the time and the Motions Room, City-County Building, Pittsburgh, PA, as the place for a hearing, when and where all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for

IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-19-7761.

In re petition of Elena Sergeyevna Serebryanskaya for change of name to Elena Sergeyevna Politov. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 31st day of July, 2019, at 9:45 a.m., as the time and the Motions Room, City-County Building, Pittsburgh, PA, as the place for a hearing, when and where all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for

IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-19-8831, In re petition of Keishawna Mitchell parent and legal guardian of Simiyah Sly, for change of name to Simiyah Johnson.To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 24th day of July, 2019, at 9:45 a.m., as the time and the Motions Room, City-County Building, Pittsburgh, PA, as the place for a hearing, when and where all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for

CONTRACT OPPORTUNITIES

NAME CHANGE

MISCELLANEOUS

MISCELLANEOUS

ROOMMATES

Propel Schools, a network of 13 public charter schools, has issued a request for proposals to artists and art programs to deliver classes as part of our CreativeArts program.

Full and part-time proposals will be considered. The deadline is June 28. For more information, visit www. propelschools.org and see “Contracting Opportunities” in the “Contact Us” dropdown menu or enter https:// bit.ly/2WR5qTF in your browser.

IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-19-5639, In re petition of Kenneth Tucker and Belle Luna parent and legal guardian of Mathieu King Blair, for change of name to King Ermias Tucker. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 27th day of June, 2019, at 9:45 a.m., as the time and the Motions Room, City-County Building, Pittsburgh, PA, as the place for a hearing, when and where all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for

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BOSS WORDS

BY BRENDAN EMMETT QUIGLEY // WWW.BRENDANEMMETTQUIGLEY.COM

ACROSS 1. Screaming at the top of one’s lungs 6. “Drop what you’re doing” letters 10. Recent grads who might be future CEOs 14. Milton who was banned from “SNL” 15. Maker of the Z4 and G7 phones 16. “A-Hunting We Will Go” composer Thomas 17. House coverings made of stone 19. Skater’s jump 20. Prods on 21. One likely to have shot down a US drone last week 23. Polished off 24. Brawny rivals 28. Sporty Spice 30. Pakistani president of the 1980s 31. Bibliography information 32. Scheduled to arrive 35. Gospel singer Campbell 37. Ten gallon hat wearer 38. Does some cardio, say 42. Philadelphia Union org.

43. Envelope for Gmail, e.g.

44. The “S” in “DOS,”: Abbr.

45. What a captcha proves you are not 47. With it 49. Silicate used in capacitors 53. It’s half on staff 57. Kip : UK :: ___ : USA 58. Cool-headedness 59. Delta figure?

61. Ice chunk 62. Trick or treat container?

65. Beginning drawing class 66. Grabbed 67. Black Panther Bobby 68. League: Abbr.

69. Confessional fodder 70. “___ to us”

DOWN

12. Greater or Lesser isles 13. Speaks, loosely 18. Red button on a smartphone camera 22. It’ll have you going round in circles 25. Hollywood blockbuster that had the working title “Planet Ice” 26. Booty 27. Booty 29. Cracked copy of Photoshop 6.0 holder, maybe 33. QB nicknamed “The Golden Arm” 34. Windowclosing key 36. Rejections

38. They’re played for laughs during credits 39. Openings in computers 40. Salmon fish 41. Belief 42. Bride’s title 46. (0, 0) on a graph 48. Ab strengthening exercise 50. Having some drinks, say 51. King of pop 52. Tops 54. Egg containers 55. One for Merkel 56. New and exciting 60. Unoccupied 61. Bleat it 63. Ornamental fish 64. Tiny charge carrier LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS

1. FBI operation that inspired “American Hustle” 2. Pertain (to) 3. Big name in cold sore relief 4. Countertenor 5. Lively dances 6. Israeli author of “Elsewhere, Perhaps” 7. “... you were saying?”

8. Anti-arson org.

9. Set forth 10. Where to spend kwacha 11. She’s just not fair

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JUNE 26-JULY 3, 2019

45

PEEPSHOW A sex and social justice column

BY JESSIE SAGE // PEEPSHOWCAST@GMAIL.COM

I

’M A 30-SOMETHING woman who recently came out as bisexual after years of dating only men. But now I’m wondering how to deal with this new identity, as I’m currently married to a wonderful man. I’ve spoken with my husband about wanting to be with a woman, and he’s open to it, but I’m not sure how to proceed. Are there ways to explore this while still setting certain parameters to ensure no one gets hurt?

How do I even get started?

In my mid-twenties, I was in graduate school and a monogamous marriage. Over a few cocktails one evening, a close friend of mine, who was also married to a man, casually dropped into the conversation that she would happily have sex with me.

I laughed it off because I wasn’t yet ready to confront that desire, or what it meant in the context of my marriage. But I thought of it so often that by the time I was in my early 30s, I was able to admit that my interest in women was more than just a passing thought, and that it was something that I needed to explore. More to the point, I was finally able to admit that I am bisexual.

When I was 31, I met a woman in her late 30s online who was also married and also had never been with another woman, but had been incubating her desires to do so for as

... WE ALSO LEARNED THROUGH PLAY AND EXPERIMENTATION HOW TO GIVE AND RECEIVE PLEASURE OUTSIDE OF THE CONTEXT OF OUR MALE PARTNERS. long as I had. We developed a deep and romantic friendship, where we also learned through play and experimentation how to give and receive pleasure outside of the context of our male partners. This relationship lasted a year, and only ended because she and her family moved for a job.

I tell this story, in part, to let you know that you are not alone. I also didn’t have sexual or romantic relationships with women until I was in

my 30s, and I explored those relationships and ethical non-monogamy more broadly within the context of marriage.

And perhaps because we often attract folks who are similar to us, many — though by no means all — of those relationships were with other married or partnered women. There are a lot of bisexual and queer women, in other words, who will not only understand what you want, but who will be interested in something similar.

You will not be able to find them, however, unless you take some risks by putting yourself out there. Online dating apps are the best place to meet folks interested in non-monogamous relationships. In my experience, OkCupid is particularly good because it allows you to be really explicit about your current relationship status and what you are looking for. But Tinder and Feeld (an app specific to open relationships) are also good places to look.

And if you are looking for something on the kink end of things, FetLife may also be a good option.

It is a good impulse to want to protect both your husband and possible future partners from hurt, but ultimately you can’t control that. You can be honest and upfront in new relationships about what your limits are (and as a married person, you have some), and you can work to effectively communicate with your husband so that he doesn’t feel left out or left behind.

But ultimately, relationships are sometimes painful. Being open to processing feelings and issuing reassurances to everyone involved is part of negotiating non-monogamous relationships, and sometimes it’s hard. But often it brings beautiful things into your life that are worth the effort.

Good luck, I hope this is the beginning of many beautiful relationships and sexual adventures!

•

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.

46

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

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