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BY: ELI ENIS
VENDING SPREE Where to find the most eclectic vending machines in Pittsburgh
BY: STACY ROUNDS // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
As a kid, I loved stumbling upon an interesting new vending machine, whether I was at school, riding my bike around the city, at an amusement park, or stuck at the DMV with one of my parents. I gleefully chose to spend my hardearned weekly allowance of two quarters on an ice cream, a bottle of Yoo-Hoo, or some Cheetos. When I landed my first real office job, I discovered the sandwich vending machine in our neon-lit break room. Despite the spongy bread and questionable meats, I was delighted to find a
microwavable lunch for less than five dollars — served by a robot arm, no less!
As technology and demand have evolved, vending machines have only gotten more eccentric, more niche, and more advanced. For example, there is a caviar vending machine in Los Angeles, a marijuana vending machine in Aurora, Co., and live bait vending machines all over Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh, specifically, has some interesting vending machines, as long as you know where to look. While we don’t have a cannabis or caviar machine (dangit), you can find some interesting toys, nostalgic themes, and international delights that fit cozily into the ’Burgh’s quirky, stubborn, throwback vibe.
THE PHANTOM MENACE PEPSI MACHINE IN MT. WASHINGTON
96 VIRGINIA AVE., MT. WASHINGTON
If you know, you know. At the corner of Virginia Ave. and Shiloh St. in Mt. Washington stands the Phantom Menace vending machine, dispensing cans of Faygo and other bubbly beverages. This machine is a piece of local interest, beloved by Star Wars fans and cheap soda sippers alike. Like most other fire station soda machines, he Phantom Menace, we believe, still o ers beverages for the low price of cents ut it s not just about the cheap soda It s about the s nostalgia While the collectors' bottles are long gone from the machine (or at least we hope) it’s still a fun relic to come and see. And who doesn’t love to support a local fire department
THE GASHAPON CAPSULE STATION
Anime lovers, this one’s for you. From Hello Kitty to Chainsaw Man to Kirby and more, you can feed your (or your kid’s) obsession with Bandai’s best characters by spinning out colorful toys wrapped in plastic bubbles. Each themed box contains multiple selections from each franchise, prompting buyers to “collect them all!” The fun of this machine isn’t just in its colorful Japanese cartoon characters but in the token dispenser on the side of the machine. You don’t even need cash to buy your favorites. Simply scan your credit card or your phone s wallet to purchase five to ens, the standard price for each toy. The tokens have an old-school Chuck-E-Cheese look to them but with Bandai GashaPon branding stamped on each side nce five to ens are plin ed into the slot of your choice, turn the knob, and snatch the plastic orb with a surprise inside.
CP PHOTO: STACY ROUNDS
The Phantom Menace soda machine
ROSS TOWNSHIP
CP PHOTO: STACY ROUNDS
The GashaPon Capsule Station at Ross Park Mall
CP PHOTO: STACY ROUNDS Toys from The GashaPon Capsule Station
THE CIGARETTE MACHINE INSIDE RIVERS CASINO
777 CASINO DR., NORTH SHORE
ivers asino was the first indoor public space I ve ever entered that smelled li e cigarette and cigar smoke without a trace of actual smoke permeating the air, thanks to their multi-million dollar AtmosAir air purifying system. And where there’s smokeless cigarette air, there must be cigarettes, amiright?
his particular cigarette dispenser loo s vastly di erent than the dingy, hori ontal smo e machines from my dive bar past. It’s clean, organized, set up vertically like a snack machine, and demands a whopping $20 for a pack of smokes. Thank goodness I quit all those years ago… ut seriously, no judgment here If you love to pu on a tasty cancer stic while playing the slots, I say go for it Life, after all, is a gamble ou might as well enjoy the things that ma e you feel good, even if you have to pay a little extra for them.
VENDOR BENDER IN SQUIRREL HILL
2301 MURRAY AVE., SQUIRREL HILL
On the corner of Murray Ave. and Nicholson St. in Squirrel Hill, you can delight your taste buds inside the vending machine mecca that is Vendor Bender: Snacks and Drinks from Around the Globe. With countertops decorated in old snack wrappers and convenient to-go bags hanging by the door, it’s easy to plan a day of international taste-testing. My kids and I sampled tons of treats including pear soda from rinidad, an Aero chocolate bar from the , hamroc Irish potato chips, spicy pu ed rice from angladesh, ello itty marshmallows from apan, and etchup avored Lays from anada
One machine's selection consists entirely of charcuterie items while another serves up frozen treats he drin machines are filled with ca einated and non ca einated fi , and bottled water is only a buck.
With comfortable air conditioning and a grand selection, I highly recommend a stop at Vendor Bender. This vending machine haven is open 24/7/365, so hit them up whenever you’re feeling a wacky snack craving.
A vending machine is such a convenient concept: it’s open 24/7 (unless it’s behind lock and key), it’s fast, cheap, and easy to use — until your snack gets stuck and you need to shake the daylights out of it. My love for vending machines has evolved over the years, as have vending machines themselves. But even as an adult, there’s still something magical about slipping coins into a machine and watching a treat tumble out. •
CP PHOTO: AMANDA WALTZ A cigarette machine inside Rivers Casino
CP PHOTO: STACY ROUNDS
A small selection of snacks from around the globe at Vendor Bender.
DIGNITY, UNPLUGGED
Homeless Pittsburghers who use electric wheelchairs are one dead battery away from a rough day in the elements
BY: DAVID S. ROTENSTEIN // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
PHOTO: DAVID S. ROTENSTEIN
A man helps to push Norman White uphill along Centre Ave. towards the YMCA where he tried to recharge his wheelchair.
Life in the 21st century sometimes means scrambling to find a plug to recharge a dying cell phone ost fol s can wal into a co ee shop or the lobby of a public building to tap into some needed electricity ut what if you are unhoused and rely on an electric wheelchair to get to a bathroom or to find food, temporary shelter, or a cooling center in a heat emergency? You have a lot fewer options to plug in hat s what orman White discovered recently when he tried to recharge his wheelchair using outdoor outlets along entre Ave in the ill istrict White s uest for power in public spaces e posed a frayed safety net
designed on the cheap and woven on a one si e fits all loom he year old ill istrict native lost his arnegie apartment in April ince then, he s been navigating the streets where he grew up, panhandling and loo ing for food, water, and electricity ome of the outlets White has tried to use belong to properties developed on land formerly owned by the rban edevelopment Authority hese people, they re getting all of this money from the government or whatever they re getting to build a community, White said while par ed at a entre Ave bus shelter a few days before an oppressive heatwave bore down on Pittsburgh I never did anything to anyone up here, and I can t
PHOTO: DAVID S. ROTENSTEIN
Norman White lived in a first-floor apartment in this Carnegie building until he was evicted in April.
do anything without my wheelchair. I can’t stand, I can’t walk. They got plugs outside some of the buildings, so I plug up my chair and in the next couple of minutes, somebody is coming and taking the plug out, saying I can’t do it.”
White’s plight is an equity issue that was unknown to the city’s affordable housing community and to elected officials. Before Pittsburgh City Paper reached out to County councilmember-at-large Bethany Hallam, she had never considered that access to electricity by unhoused people was a survival issue. “It truly never crossed my mind,” Hallam says.
Upon learning about White’s situation, Hallam drove through the Hill looking for him. She ultimately was able to get White a cellphone, some clothes, and pathway to a shelter.
“When there are public dollars used, there should be public accessibility. That is a no-brainer,” Hallam says. “When you receive public dollars for your project, you should be required to have not just an ADAaccessible city, but also access for the public when they need to use electricity or bathrooms or water fountains.”
The New Granada Square Apartments is one of the properties where White has tried to recharge his chair. Completed in 2023, the mixeduse development bookends the 2100 block of Centre Ave. where the Hill CDC is redeveloping the long-abandoned New Granada Theater.
The Hill CDC bought the parcels from the URA. Cleveland-based CHN Housing Partners manages the 40 apartments built there.
There are two outside outlets in the property’s Centre Ave. façade. White said that he has been asked to leave the property by its manager multiple times. One time, the manager called the police.
“She was, you know, giving me orders to get out of here,” White says.
White clearly recalls what the manager told him: “You don’t pay rent here and pay for electricity, and
people don’t want you here.”
The New Granada Square Apartments property manager referred questions to the company’s corporate headquarters. CHN spokesperson Laura Boustani says that tenants had complained about White, and that the property manager had several encounters with White, including one where she told him to leave by 5 p.m.
“Please don’t come back because this is a private property and we have residents here that pay,” Boustani says
the property manager told White.
After that, the apartments cut the power to the outlets along Centre Ave. White then tried to charge his chair using an outlet in the vestibule. Again, the property manager told him to leave.
Boustani confirms that the outlets were disabled after the property manager discovered White charging his chair.
“It is private property,” Boustani says. “Our responsibility is to our residents to make sure they’re comfortable
PHOTO: DAVID S. ROTENSTEIN
Norman White sits in his wheelchair at the Centre Ave. bus shelter where he spends much of his time.
and they’re secure and safe.”
Like Hallam, Hill CDC executive director Marimba Milliones had been unaware of the need for public electricity outlets. “Learning of this issue has been an education for the Hill CDC. It’s clear that additional public charging stations are needed throughout the neighborhood, city, and county,” Milliones wrote in an emailed response to an interview request.
Though he’s from the Hill and living there again, albeit on the streets, White finds compassion in the people who bring him water and who help him to move when his chair’s batteries run dry. He repeatedly apologizes for the pungent smell that surrounds him. Unable to leave his chair, White urinates and defecates in it.
“A friend of mine went out of his way, I guess he smelled me, and he went and brought this urinal thing
that I could take with me and I could stick under my clothes and go to the bathroom,” White said.
Living on the streets in the Hill District during a record-setting heatwave is the latest in a long line of misfortunes and indignities in White’s life. When he was 19, he robbed a Hill District bar and was shot as he was fleeing.
Police arrested White for the robbery and took the gun he used. They subsequently determined that the gun had belonged to a Wilkinsburg jitney driver who died after struggling with White, whom they said tried to rob him. In 1989, a judge convicted White of thirddegree murder, robbery, theft, and receiving stolen property.
“I did 15 years straight in prison,” White says. “I missed all my 20s and half of my 30s.”
After returning to Pittsburgh,
White worked with at-risk youth and in retail. In 2006, he was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident.
“I’ve had four operations since. I’ve been up on my feet every time. This last time, it just got so bad, I ended up in this chair,” he says.
White has used his wheelchair for a year and was living in a firstfloor apartment when his landlord, Monroeville-based Arbor Management Inc., evicted him.
“They didn’t want to renew my lease because my wheelchair was messing up the walls and door hinges and stuff, and they were getting fines for my rent, and they didn’t want to build me a ramp,” White says.
The Landlord/Tenant complaint filed in Carnegie Magistrate’s Court shows that White had failed to pay multiple months’ rent. “No one here at Arbors is going to speak to you or the press,” the company’s portfolio
PHOTO: DAVID S. ROTENSTEIN Hill CDC executive director Marimba Milliones speaks at the May 2023 groundbreaking for the New Granada Theatre rehabilitation project.
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“I PLUG UP MY CHAIR AND IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MINUTES, SOMEBODY IS COMING AND TAKING THE PLUG OUT, SAYING I CAN’T DO IT.”
manager and complaint author, Marlayna Marquinez, emailed in response to a request for information about the building and White’s case. Out on the street, White’s wheelchair has two batteries that can take him between 13 and 21 miles on a single charge, according to the manufacturer. It takes between eight and 14 hours to fully recharge them. Based on the types of battery and charging time, it can cost less than 50 cents to fully recharge, according to a source who works in the electricity industry. White rarely gets a chance to stay in one place long enough to get a full charge. If he’s not being forced to unplug from outdoor outlets, Centre Ave. businesses limit the amount of time he’s allowed to plug in. After getting a push uphill on Centre Ave. to the YMCA, he was told that he could only stay in the lobby for an hour. The
building doesn’t appear to have any exterior outlets.
A sta did not respond to City Paper’s request for an interview or comment.
Pittsburgh s ffice of ommunity Health and Safety said in an emailed statement, “OCHS hasn’t had this concern raised by our service participants.” The statement suggested that people requiring electricity could charge at public libraries, the now-closed Second Avenue Commons, and other places “during hours of operations.”
The Carnegie Library Hill District branch one block away from the YMCA also doesn’t have any outside outlets. The same with a nearby First National Bank branch and The Legacy apartment building next door. The New Granada Square Apartments have the closest outdoor outlets to
where White spends most of his time. In the same block, the Hill CDC headquarters and the Federal Credit Union office don t have outside outlets
The Zone 2 police station has an outdoor outlet in the back. Lt. Dan Reed says that White could recharge there, for short periods of time. “I would have no problem with him doing that,” Reed says. “[But] he’s going to have to find a long term solution
White admitted that he would never recharge at a police station. “You get a stigma about using it, being around the police and stu li e that, he says
But what about properties like the New Granada Square Apartments? It was built on parcels assembled by the A and the project received financing from multiple sources, including the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency and federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits.
The long-term solution, says Hallam, requires changing the ways that developers benefit from public assistance with their projects.
The councilmember says that she will explore ways to attach conditions to future approvals for developers and projects receiving public funding. omething that I m definitely going to be looking into immediately is can we put the same restrictions as we do for TIFs and LERTAs for tax incentives that developers receive on public access to electricity and bathrooms,” Hallam says.
CP was unable to get responses to multiple requests for comment from Mayor Ed Gainey and Hill District City Councilmember Daniel Lavelle. White was arrested for retail theft in Scott Township in late June. The phone Hallam got him is no longer in service. •
PHOTO: DAVID S. ROTENSTEIN
Norman White tries to recharge his wheelchair behind a Centre Ave. apartment building early one morning.
MFRESH SQUEEZED
Merce Lemon’s third full-length album Watch Me Drive Them Dogs Wild sees the Pittsburgh indie phenom blend rock confidence and folk beauty
BY: ELI ENIS // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
erce Lemon’s new album, Watch Me Drive Them Dogs Wild , is teeming with naturalistic imagery: birdseed and blossoms, backyards and butterflies, crashing waves and muddy puddles, enough crows to “make a city of this ghost town.” The music sounds like fresh air is flowing between her guitar strings. During the quiet parts, you almost expect to hear a squirrel chittering in the background. The song tempos are unhurried like the freedom of hiking without cell service, and the hint of guitar twang suggests that, despite Lemon’s urban roots, she spends enough time outdoors to earn herself a proper farmer’s tan.
If you tried to envision the home where this earthy lyricist and cozy singer resided, it would look exactly like the one Pittsburgh City Paper visits in Pittsburgh. Her front porch is overflowing with greenery, and around back is a nicely preened garden, leafy and lush. When I enter Lemon’s kitchen, she’s standing calmly at the counter spreading avocado on warm toast. At this point, the 27-year-old already had a full day’s work at her landscaping job and then came home to spend another couple hours in the garden. “It’s kind of contagious,” she says with a giggle.
Lemon wasn’t always this connected with nature. Her first two albums, 2017’s Ideal for a Light Flow With Your Body and 2020’s Moonth, evoked the cramped comforts of a dusty attic. Her introverted twee-pop songs, alternately silly and sad, were a Pittsburgher’s response to the bedroom-pop renaissance that artists like Frankie Cosmos and Florist were leading in New York City.
But since those bodies of work, Lemon’s life has changed dramatically. Between working with soil for three years and spending one COVID-era summer sleeping outside almost every night, her love of nature has deepened. Meanwhile, her artistic confidence has strengthened; her voice is more powerful, her lyrics more vivid. Her band, comprising entirely new members since Moonth, have ignited her songs with a mesmerizing chemistry.
Watch Me Drive Them Dogs Wild, due out Sept. 27 via Darling Recordings, inhabits the nexus between the spellbinding folk-rock of Big Thief and the riproaring country-rock of Crazy Horse. It’s a full-bodied triumph that positions Lemon, long one of the city’s burgeoning indie-rock talents, for a legitimate breakthrough beyond the 412. It’s such a resounding statement of purpose that it’s shocking to think that, just a few years back, Lemon was questioning her own identity as a songwriter.
“The thing about music is like, OK, if this doesn’t work out, who am I?”
At the very least, she’ll always be Merce Lemon. In 10th grade, her mom encouraged her to legally
change her last name to Lemon, just because Merce liked the ring of it. Her early childhood was similarly unusual. Growing up in South Oakland, the singer-songwriter was part of an “open and artistic” community of family friends who spent almost all of their time together.
From ages two to seven, Lemon attended a Spanish language immersion preschool in a backyard in Wilkinsburg. Her mother is a professional letterpress printer, and her grandmother was a visual artist, while her dad, who fans might recognize from his years-long stint in Lemon’s live band, is a film archivist whose collection once filled every crevice in their home.
“Crafting was perpetual,” Lemon says of her free-thinking upbringing. “We were rarely clothed — but it wasn’t a cult.”
Music was everywhere. Her parents, both musicians themselves, also hosted touring artists at their home. One frequent guest was Kimya Dawson of 2000s twee icons The Moldy Peaches, who Lemon would sing with onstage whenever she came through town. A precocious songwriter, Lemon had already cycled through an a cappella band and a punk group by age 12 but then contracted debilitating stage fright that kept her offstage until she was 19.
“That kind of opened a million doors for me,” Lemon says of her first show as an adult. “That rush of performing for people was reintroduced.”
By that point, Lemon was living with her uncle in Seattle, where she finished up high-school taking courses at a community college. Lemon’s best friend died when she was 15, making her already unpleasant schooling experience that much more dreadful. Rather than drop out, her mom suggested she move across the country for a reset.
It was at that first show in Seattle where Lemon met Dylan Hanwright of indie-rock favorites Great Grandpa , who offered to record her debut album in his basement studio.
Making Ideal… was a great experience for Lemon, but she struggles to revisit those songs today because of how “scared” she sounds on the recordings. It’s certainly a far cry from the confidence she displays in 2024, standing tall and firm behind the mic at shows and projecting her voice into long-tailed croons on Watch Me Drive Them Dogs Wild
“Somebody came up to me after a show in Seattle,” Lemon recalls, “and was like, ‘I love the shakiness in your voice.” They figured her nervous quivering was an artistic affect. “I was like, ‘I’m literally shaking.’”
When Lemon returned to Pittsburgh around 2017, she didn’t have friends in the scene, so she asked her dad and another middleaged family friend, Jim Lingo, to be her bandmates. Lemon says being in a band with her father was a great experience that brought them closer together; he never tried to steer control away from his daughter and always respected her creative vision. After three years of building regional momentum through steady gigging, the so-called “dad band” era of Merce Lemon entered a proper studio to record Moonth
Unfortunately, the record’s planned release arrived in Aug. 2020 at the height of the George Floyd protests and COVID lockdown. Lemon chose not to promote the album at that time, and with live shows taken away from her and her band virtually dissolved, she put effort into other hobbies. She even considered de-prioritizing music altogether and only treating it as a casual pursuit.
“I had lost my joy playing music at that time,” Lemon says. “I just didn’t feel very inspired.”
Getting that spark back wasn’t a surefire thing. Slowly, she began writing songs again, documenting her life bit by bit. She put out a call for new bandmates on Instagram and gradually assembled her now-powerhouse lineup: guitarist Reid Magette, bassist Ben Brody, and drummer Pat Coyle. Lemon’s personal life was also undergoing a
CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON Merce Lemon poses for a portrait at home.
“WATCH ME DRIVE THEM DOGS WILD IS A FULL-BODIED TRIUMPH THAT POSITIONS LEMON FOR A LEGITIMATE BREAKTHROUGH BEYOND THE 412.”
restructuring. When asked if Watch Me Drive… is a breakup album, she chuckles, as if I noticed something she thought she was being subtle about. She only thinks one track, the wispy ballad “Window,” directly references her former relationship with a farmer that encompassed much of the writing process.
“It’s like a breakup song [written] when I was still in a relationship,” she says, smiling meekly. “One of those.”
Other lyrics that might scan as interpersonal conflicts are actually internal conversations. When Lemon intones “you fucking liar” during the eruptive climax of “Backyard Lover” — the loudest, angriest passage in her whole catalog — the coarse accusation is actually aimed inward at her own self-critical judgments. In the album’s hauntingly gorgeous, piano-speckled title-track, Lemon’s refrain about the thoughts of a husband “weighing down” on her mind have nothing to do with her own marital doubts.
The song is Lemon’s creative interpretation of a surreal encounter her family friend had with ’60s folk hero Michael Hurley. The titular dogs being driven wild are the hounds Hurley awoke when he supposedly howled out of his living room window into the dark night.
Moreover, the “murderous flock” in “Crow” is about the Pittsburgh crow migration Lemon used to marvel at from her roof in Bloomfield.
“These crows know something that we don’t,” she remembers thinking. “I wish I could follow them.”
Lemon still isn’t sure where her own migration pattern is taking her. Though she’s now dating someone long-distance, she still views Pittsburgh as an ideal “home base.”
She’s more proud of her music than ever, and the intentional effort she’s putting into her band dynamic — to “cultivate fun” and treat everyone respectfully — is paying dividends. They’re having a blast. She and her label have big aspirations for Watch Me Drive…, and with recent coverage by tastemakers like Pitchfork and glowing endorsements from buzzy national bands like Squirrel Flower and Babehoven, it seems like Lemon’s profile is blooming.
So what’s missing?
“I’m just excited to put this thing out so that maybe it will open up some metaphorical space in my head so I can start writing again,” she says. “That always happens. I’m like, I can’t start this other thing until I let go of this project.” •
Many Americans are fortunate to have dental coverage for their entire working life, throughemployer-provided benefits. When those benefits end with retirement, paying dental bills out-of-pocket can come as a shock, leading people to put off or even go without care.
Simply put — without dental insurance, there may be an important gap in your healthcare coverage.
When you’re comparing plans ...
Look for coverage that helps pay for major services. Some plans may limit the number of procedures — or pay for preventive care only.
Look for coverage with no deductibles. Some plans may require you to pay hundreds out of pocket before benefits are paid.
Shop for coverage with no annual maximum on cash benefits. Some plans have annual maximums of $1,000.
Medicare doesn’t pay for dental care.1
That’s right. As good as Medicare is, it was never meant to cover everything. That means if you want protection, you need to purchase individual insurance.
Early detection can prevent small problems from becoming expensive ones. The best way to prevent large dental bills is preventive care. The American Dental Association recommends checkups twice a year.
Previous dental work can wear out.
Even if you’ve had quality dental work in the past, you shouldn’t take your dental health for granted. In fact, your odds of having a dental problem only go up as you age.2
Treatment is expensive — especially the services people over 50 often need.
Consider these national average costs of treatment ... $222 for a checkup ... $190 for a filling ... $1,213 for a crown.3 Unexpected bills like this can be a real burden, especially if you’re on a fixed income.
“Absolutely
SAT., JULY 13
SEVEN DAYS IN PITTSBURGH
THU., JULY 11
MARKET • LARIMER
Vintage Makers Market. 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
The Portal Art Gallery-Bakery Square. 6425 Penn Ave., Larimer. Free. instagram.com/nyox_studio
PARTY • GARFIELD
Level Up Studios 8th Anniversary Celebration 5-11 p.m. Level Up Studios. 4836 Penn Ave., Garfield. Pay What You Want. instagram.com/leveluppgh
ART • GARFIELD
READ-SHIFTING WEB Opening Reception
6-8 p.m. Continues through Aug, 4. Bunker Projects. 5106 Penn Ave., Garfield. Free. bunkerprojects.org
MUSIC • NORTH SHORE
Train Summer Road Trip Tour with Yacht Rock Revue. 6:30 p.m. Stage AE. 400 N. Shore Dr., North Shore. $59.50-129. promowestlive.com
LIT • OAKMONT
An Evening With Linda Castillo: The Burning 6:30 p.m. Mystery Lovers Bookshop. 700 Allegheny River Blvd., Oakmont. Registration required. mysterylovers.com
MUSIC • WARRENDALE
Drowning Pool with A Killer’s Confession, Moon Fever, A Common Crown, and Dematus 7 p.m. Doors at 6 p.m. Jergels Rhythm Grille. 103 Slade Ln., Warrendale. $22-35. druskyentertainment.com
THEATER • OAKLAND
Kinetic Theatre presents Oleanna. 7:30 p.m. Continues through Sun., July 28. Richard E. Rauh Studio Theatre. University of Pittsburgh. 4200 Fifth Ave., Oakland. $25-60. kinetictheatre.org
FRI., JULY 12
ART • SEWICKLEY
Skin Deep: A Tattoo Exhibition Opening Reception. 5-8 p.m. Sweetwater Center for the Arts. 200 Broad St., Sewickley. Free. sweetwaterartcenter.org
FESTIVAL • NORTH SIDE
Various North Side venues will welcome over 70 acts for one of the largest live music events in Pittsburgh. The Northside Music Festival returns with three days of local talent representing multiple genres, including indie rock, brassy dance, and gospel. The event also o ers food vendors, artisanal craft booths, and family-friendly activities. 6 p.m. Continues through Sun., July 14. Multiple venues, North Side. Free. $5 wristbands for outdoor bar areas. northsidemusicfestival.com
THUR., JULY 11
PARTY • HOMESTEAD
The Glamorous Life: A Night of Prince Side Projects with DJ EZ Lou and DJ MB 7-10 p.m. Golden Age Beer. 337 E. 8th Ave., Homestead. Free. facebook.com/InBedByTen
PARTY • LAWRENCEVILLE
Get ready for the party of the summer when Summa Lumma DJ Fest takes over Thunderbird Cafe & Music Hall. Presented by Sad Bear GVNG, the event features sets by local and national DJs, including Slim Tha DJ, Rojo, Wade, Femi, Khan Kuma, Hype Melo, Jimi Julz, and Violin Speaks. 8 pm. Doors at 7 p.m. 4053 Butler St., Lawrenceville. $15-30. thunderbirdmusichall.com
DANCE • NORTH SIDE
Texture Contemporary Ballet presents Spark of Radiance. 8 p.m. Continues through Sun., July 14. New Hazlett Theater. Six Allegheny Square East, North Side. $24-39. newhazletttheater.org
FILM • LAWRENCEVILLE
Cult-O-Rama: Riddles 3 with Troll & Troll 2 9 p.m. Row House Cinema. 4115 Butler St., Lawrenceville. $16. rowhousecinemas.com
FESTIVAL • NEW KENSINGTON
New Ken Sizzlin’ Summer Night. 4-8 p.m. Fifth Ave., New Kensington. Free. All ages. instagram.com/sweetalchemybakeshop
WRESTLING • HOMESTEAD
KSWA presents Brawl Under The Bridge IX 5 p.m. Under the Homestead Grays Bridge. Seventh Ave., Homestead. $15-20. instagram. com/brawlunderthebridge
SPORTS • WASHINGTON
Three Rivers Celebrity Softball Game 7 p.m. Wild Things Park. One Washington Federal Way, Washington. $15. washingtonwildthings.com
COMEDY • LAWRENCEVILLE
Pittsburgh comedians will go head-to-head in what’s described as a “bracket-style, singleelimination, one-liner joke contest.” Presented by Time Out, One Liner Madness travels the country to find the best joke writer in every city. Have a few laughs as 64 local funny people flock to Spirit to represent the ‘Burgh in this nationwide competition. 7-10 p.m. 242 51st St., Lawrenceville. $15 in advance, $20 at the door. one-liner-madness.ticketleap.com
COMEDY • DOWNTOWN
Brad Williams with J.B. Ball. 7 p.m. and 10:15 p.m. Byham Theater. 101 Sixth St., Downtown. $29.50-59.50. trustarts.org
PHOTO: MITCHELL DAVIDSON Yacht Rock Revue at Stage AE
PHOTO: RACHEL HARMAN
Texture Contemporary Ballet presents Spark of Radiance.
SUN., JULY 14
MARKET • STRIP DISTRICT
SummerLands Street Market. 12-5 p.m. Cinderlands Beer Warehouse. 2601 Smallman St., Strip District. Free. facebook.com/CinderlandsBeer
LIT • STRIP DISTRICT
Legendary: A Book Launch with Dick LeBeau 2-3:30 p.m. Doors at 1:30 p.m. Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum. 1212 Smallman St., Strip District. $10-20. heinzhistorycenter.org
SPORTS • POINT BREEZE
Sibyls Shrine presents Mommies vs. Aunties Soccer Game. 2-4 p.m. Westinghouse Park. 7051 Thomas Blvd., Point Breeze. Free. instagram.com/sibylsshrine
MON., JULY 15
MUSIC • MILLVALE
The Taxpayers with Crazy & The Brains, Apes of the State, and Endless Mike and the Beagle Club 8 p.m. Doors at 7 p.m. Mr Smalls Theatre. 400 Lincoln Ave., Millvale. $22.50. opusoneproductions.com
TUE., JULY 16
MUSIC • GARFIELD
Mega Infinity with The Sneaky Heat Missiles and The Book Club 8 p.m. Doors at 7 p.m. The Mr. Roboto Project. 5106 Penn Ave., Garfield. $10 in advance, $12 at the door. dltsgdom.com
WED., JULY 17
KIDS • NORTH SIDE
The Science Behind Pixar. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Carnegie Science Center. One Allegheny Ave., North Side. Included with regular admission. carnegiesciencecenter.org
PHOTO: COURTESY OF JONAS PUBLIC RELATIONS Brad Williams at the Byham Theater
PHOTO: COURTESY OF NORTHSIDE MUSIC FESTIVAL Northside Music Festival
FINANCIAL
Struggling With Your Private Student Loan Payment? New relief programs can reduce your payments. Learn your options. Good credit not necessary. Call the Helpline 888-670-5631 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm Eastern) (AAN CAN)
MARKET PLACE
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OFFICIAL ADVERTISEMENT
THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION of the SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS
Sealed proposals shall be deposited at the Administration Building, Bellefield Entrance Lobby, 341 South Bellefield Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15213, on July 30, 2024, until 2:00 P.M., local prevailing time for:
PGH. OBAMA 6-12 (JR./SR. HIGH SCHOOL) (*REBID*)
• Bleacher Demolition and UST Removal
• General Primes
Project Manual and Drawings will be available for purchase on June 30, 2024, at Modern Reproductions (412-488-7700), 127 McKean Street, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15219 between 9:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. The cost of the Project Manual Documents is non-refundable. Project details and dates are described in each project manual.
SAVE BIG on HOME INSURANCE! Compare 20 A-rated insurances companies. Get a quote within minutes. Average savings of $444/year! Call 844712-6153! (M-F 8am-8pm Central) (AAN CAN)
STUDY SMOKERS WANTED
The University of Pittsburgh’s Alcohol & Smoking Research Lab is looking for people to participate in a research project. You must:
• Currently smoke cigarettes
• Be 18-49 years old, in good health, and speak fluent English
• Be right handed, willing to not smoke before two sessions, and to fill out questionnaires
Earn up to $260 for participating in this study.
NAME CHANGE
MASSAGE
M2M Massage by Lee Athletic shape. 24/7 • 412-628-1269
ESTATE NOTICE
ESTATE OF MILLER, JEAN E. DECEASED OF WHITE OAK, PA
ESTATE NOTICE
ESTATE OF BISHOP, BRETT G. DECEASED OF PITTSBURGH, PA
NAME CHANGE
IN The Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles: Glendale Courthouse, 600 East Broadway, Glendale, CA 91206 No. 24NNCP00199
ESTATE NOTICE
For more information, call (412) 407-5029
IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-24-006458, In re petition of Ellen Filar & Joseph Filar, parents and legal guardians of Lasa Filar, minor, for change of name to Vie Filar. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 7th day of August 2024, at 9:30 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.
ESTATE OF DONALD L. FILLMORE, LATE OF SHALER TOWNSHIP, PENNSYLVANIA, (DIED: FEBRUARY 28, 2024) Notice is hereby given that Letters Administration on the above Estate have been granted to Janeen Walker, Administrator. All persons indebted to the said Estate are required to make payment and those having claims to present the same without delay to the Administrator named herein, or to Lawrence A. Durkin, Esquire, Durkin MacDonald, LLC, Attorney for this Estate, 536 East Drinker Street, Dunmore, Pennsylvania 18512.
Jean E. Miller, deceased, of White Oak, PA. No. 022402928 of 2024.
Thomas Miller, Jr., Adm. P.O. Box 53, McKeesport, PA 15135. We are an equal rights and opportunity school district.
Brett G. Bishop, deceased, of Pittsburgh, PA. No. 04200 of 2024.
Matthew A Bishop, Extr., 13969 NE 31st Place Bellevue, WA 98005.
In re petition of Ebby Carin Anderson for change of name to Erika Carin Anderson. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 17th day of July, 2024, at 8:30 a.m. THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.
geisha show
17. “Exactly what they said was” 19. DC cagers
20. Obstacles on the Hollywood set 21.
Still firm 23.
Windmill tilter 28. Centers of operation: Abbr. 29. Intense conflict
30. Alt’s opposite 31.
With 41-Across, evasive football play
34. Way of speaking
35. Timbuktu’s desert
38. Birthplace of the bossa nova, for short 39. “Gentlemen, start your ___!”
41.
See 31-Across
42. Hates with a passion
44. Writing with emphasis
45. Crucial
46. Radicava and Qalsody treat it
47. His “Last Theorem” remained unsolved for 357 years
PUBLIC AUCTION
Public notice is hereby given that property placed in storage by the following persons at the following locations will be sold via public sale to satisfy Guardian Storage liens for unpaid rent and other charges. Bidding for property of persons renting space at the following locations will be held online at www.Storageauctions.com ending on July 23, 2024 at 12:00 pm, and day to day thereafter until sold at which time a high bidder will be determined.
350 Old Haymaker Road, Monroeville, Pa 14146: Unit #1408 Savannah Hans, Unit #2108 Ernest Genes, Unit #2328 Lydia Monheim, Unit #3121 Flo Johnson, Unit #3305 Charles McCracken, Unit #3536 Barbara Baldwin, Unit #3717 Barbara Baldwin, Unit #3816 Victor Montoya
1002 East Waterfront Drive, Munhall, PA 15120: Unit #1603 Phillip Sewell, Unit #1808 Jasmine Cabell, Unit #3704 Shelly Snyder, Unit #3802 Camille Rivers, Unit #3903 Devin Hagan
1390 Old Freeport Road, Pittsburgh, Pa 15238: Unit #12426 Tecla M Summers 14200 Route 30, North Huntingdon, Pa 15642: Unit #1121 Lynn Shields, Unit #3067 Preston D Gorman
4711 William Penn Highway, Monroeville, PA 15146: Unit #12707 Sally Frick, Unit #23503 Michele Hunter, Unit #23507 Michele Hunter
1028 Ridge Road, Tarentum, Pa 15084: Unit #31601 Amanda Jordan, Unit #31701 Kaezron Pearson, Unit #31710 Samara Cowles, Unit #32113 Michael S Bogdan, Unit #32224 Jennifer L Brezovic, Unit #32431 Summer Scha er, Unit #32442 Cynthia Crise, Unit #41329 William Propp, Unit #41425 Alicia Heymers, Unit #41513 Tanika Woody, Unit #41520 Elizabeth Sinchak
901 Brinton Road, Pittsburgh, Pa 15221: Unit #10201 Patrick Palmer, Unit #11404 Zechariah White, Unit #8105 William Roberts, Unit #8415 Elihu Ali Maurice Bey-Strayhorn, Unit #9111 Josie Bryant, Unit #9113 Alecia Hughes
2839 Liberty Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15222: Unit #4608 Donshea Harper, Unit #4906 Sylvia Lopez, Unit #5006 Je Artim, Unit #5323 Anthony Poukish, Unit #5404 Taylor Maglin, Unit #5912 Kahlil Yarbrough, Unit #6502 Jimmese Glenn
1599 Washington Pike, Bridgeville, PA 15017: Unit #2104 Marc Kaye, Unit #2510 James Dotten, Unit #6122 Jon Morrison
Lebanon Church Road, West Mi lin, PA 15236: Unit #32214 Diassandai Serrano, Unit #42201 Alyssa Vaughn
Coraopolis Road, Coraopolis, PA 15108: Unit #12007 Boni Hernandez, Unit #12417
49. Hwy. through Gowanus and South Williamsburg
50. Overly theatrical sort
54. New York site of America’s oldest state park
56. Rating for The Bear and Shogun
57. Be a part of the picture
58. Really really fast
63. Busters
64. Blue-ray holder
65. Chess opening?
66. E-filing mo.
67. Single-serving co ee in Illy machines
68. Sci-fi writer Chiang
DOWN
1. Sick of it all
2. Chihuahua chum
3. “When We Two Parted” poet
4. Criminology and anthropology subj.
5. Explosive used in mining
6. RSVP, e.g.: Abbr.
7. Rm. with ventilators
8. School that JFK and Paul Giamatti attended (not at the same time)
9. Bibliography entry
10. Certain elementary particle
11. Long stories made short?
12. Tag information
15. With 26-Down, yellow sign with a stick figure
18. Some contracts reviewers: Abbr.
22. “Ya got me? Yeah?”
24. Says out loud
25. Handles a pressing issue?
26. See 15-Down
27. Edward R. Murrow prizewinning journalist ___ Quist-Arcton
30. Big tech exchange
31. Chapter of history
32. Pen point
33. Capitol on the Persian Gulf
35. Setting of a 1965 march
36. Have second thoughts about
37. “___ objections?”
40. Par for the course
43. Designer Cassini
47. Complete jokes
48. Skirt worn with toe shoes
49. Curling muscle
50. Took the wheel
51. Kick out of the apartment
52. Roast runner
53. In the altogether
54. Diddly squat
55. Put two and two together
59. Dating letters
60. Tablet holder
61. That, in Tampico
62. Letters wrapping up a proof
