July 17, 2019 - Pittsburgh City Paper

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JULY 17-24, 2019 VOLUME 28 + ISSUE 29 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 Circulation Manager JEFF ENGBARTH Featured Contributors REGE BEHE, LISSA BRENNAN, LYNN CULLEN, TERENEH IDIA, CHARLES ROSENBLUM, JESSIE SAGE 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.

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HEALTH ISSUE

CP ILLUSTRAT ION: ABBIE ADAMS

BY AMANDA WALTZ AWALTZ@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

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CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

Emily Anderson of All Bodies Welcome Yoga

J

AMIE HAMILTON has built a career on being

what she calls a “plus-size creative,” something she believes would not have been possible a decade ago.

“If things hadn’t changed, I wouldn’t be able to make money doing what I do,” says Hamilton, a freelance creative director and photographer.

Hamilton goes by Jamie JeTaime on her popular Instagram account, where she directs, styles, and posts images of herself wearing stylish outfits and swimwear to her over 49,000 followers.

She attributes much of this change to the body-positivity movement — or BoPo for short — a growing social push that seeks to challenge and change societal standards of beauty and wellness.

While its history can be traced as far back as the 1960s, the movement has gained major traction over the past several years on social media.

Hamilton represents one person bringing the movement to Pittsburgh, along with local fitness,

dietary, and yoga specialists trying to undo the mental and physical harm inflicted by a culture that leaves little room for anyone who doesn’t fit a certain slim, athletic, and predominantly white image. They believe confronting this culture with direct action and body positivity can move the Pittsburgh region into a more inclusive future.

Addressing this bias includes seeing more body types in media. “It’s hard to feel good about your body when you don’t see it anywhere,” says Hamilton, who, besides identifying as plus-size, is also taller than the average woman at 5 feet 10 inches.

She believes BoPo also means respecting peoples’ bodies for what they are, not “some kind of preconceived notion of what bodies should be.”

And, as research shows, lack of acceptance can have major consequences. Studies from the International Journal of Obesity and the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance have noted

the prevalence of weight discrimination in the workplace, health care, and education, to the point where cities across the United States have had to outlaw the practice.

Hamilton says that, to some degree, the fashion industry has taken note. “I’m seeing more clothing companies and brands and designers wanting to expand their size ranges or have more inclusive fits,” she says, adding that she has worked with Nike, ModCloth, Almay, and Dove, among others.

But while Hamilton embodies the BoPo movement in her own work, she wanted to do more to spread that message and empower others. To do that, the Western Pennsylvania native created Yinz Bopo, an inclusive body-positive Pittsburgh Facebook group where people can go to feel comfortable, regardless of their abilities or what they look like.

Hamilton says one of the reasons she started CONTINUES ON PG. 8

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PHOTO: JAMIE HAMILTON AND KEVIN DEEL

Jamie Hamilton (fourth from left) and attendees of a Yinz Bopo meet up

the group was to bring to Pittsburgh the BoPo swimming meet-ups she saw going on in other cities. So far, the group has hosted pool meet-ups at various public pools and at Sandcastle Water Park in West Homestead.

Hamilton says the outings mean a lot to group members who have long felt uncomfortable with their bodies.

“For a lot of people, it’s their first time as an adult in a swimsuit ever,” she says.

She also believes it’s important for others to see people who look different or have different abilities “hanging out and having fun.”

“I wanted it to be a visual representation, to kind of change the way people think about bodies in general,” says Hamilton.

Since it launched in June 2018, the group has attracted more than 430 followers. While Hamilton moved to Tucson, Ariz. in April, she says the group has kept going thanks to the efforts of her fellow page administrators and the members who often reach out to each other for advice and support.

“We have so much power, and I truly believe that the world could change more if people just stopped hating what

they looked like and stopped putting their energy toward telling somebody else that they look wrong,” she says.

“Think about all the things we could be doing with our lives if we weren’t always wondering what’s wrong with us. There’s nothing wrong with us.”

Run by Haley Goodrich and Kaley Sechman, INSPIRD Nutrition takes what is described as a “weight-inclusive approach” by not measuring healthiness based on weight and helping clients develop sustainable choices by rejecting harmful, restrictive diets.

“THINK ABOUT ALL THE THINGS WE COULD BE DOING WITH OUR LIVES IF WE WEREN’T ALWAYS WONDERING WHAT’S WRONG WITH US. THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH US.” HAMILTON HAS ALSO experienced the

bias of basing a person’s health or ability on their weight or appearance, primarily as a runner.

“People wouldn’t expect plus-size people to be doing that,” she says, adding that she’s currently training for a 10K. INSPIRD Nutrition in Monroeville has been working against the long-held stigma attached to certain body types, as the desire to be thin and “healthy” often drives the development of eating disorders or, at the very least, an unhealthy, inflexible relationship with food.

“A lot of times, people have been dieting for years, decades sometimes, and are just tired of cycling through dieting, and just feeling bad about themselves and their bodies, and kind of waiting for their body to change to live their lives,” says Sechman, a registered dietitian. “That’s definitely something I hear often.”

While restrictive dieting fads come and go, studies and many people’s life experiences have shown that they do little to help people achieve the “perfect body.” The National Eating Disorder CONTINUES ON PG. 10

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JULY 17-24, 2019

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Felicia Savage Friedman teaches a chair yoga class at The Kingsley Association.

Association (NEDA) recognizes body image as a major motivation behind restrictive eating and estimates that over 30 million Americans struggle with an eating disorder at some point in their lives.

Over the years, countless studies and surveys have found that restrictive, weight-loss dieting simply doesn’t work — one 2007 report from UCLA even stated that, while dieters typically lose five to 10 percent of their starting weight in the first six months, a vast majority end up regaining more weight than they lost after they return to their usual routine.

Sechman says one way INSPIRD hopes to help people is by defining food “neutrally, as opposed to good versus bad,” in effect combating the practice of food-shaming inherent to dieting.

“Making those moral attachments has some pretty strong negative repercussions,” says Sechman. “We’re working to remove that which is really difficult to do, especially since the culture feeds those messages all the time of ‘good versus bad,’ and, ‘if you eat the good

foods, you’re good and superior; if you eat the bad foods, you’re bad and clearly don’t care about yourself,’ and all of the subtext that goes with that.”

To do this, Sechman adopted Health At Every Size, a set of principles created by the Association for Size Diversity and Health, and Intuitive Eating, an anti-dieting approach, after becoming disillusioned with the way she was taught to treat patients.

“Like most of us in health care, we’re trained in the weight-centered paradigm, which is a traditional health care model that focuses on weight as a proxy for health and wellbeing,” she says. “I started thinking critically about, ‘Why are things like this, and why am I not feeling secure in my job, why am I feeling like I’m not helping people?’”

Now she and Goodrich take a therapeutic approach based on trying to undo decades of toxic thinking around food and body image.

“Most of [our clients] are looking for a way to feel better, and by that, I don’t just mean physically, but mentally,”

says Sechman. “I think a lot of people are coming in just wanting to be heard and listened to … Sometimes I think that’s what people are looking for, just a space where they can feel safe to explore these things without feeling judged or shamed or pressured to feel like they have to change their body.”

THROUGH HER WORK, Emily Anderson demonstrates that you don’t have to change your body in order to teach yoga.

After becoming a certified yoga instructor in June 2018, she founded All Bodies Welcome Yoga and has worked to make yoga more accessible and inclusive by teaching at locations throughout Pittsburgh.

“Everyone has body insecurities, everyone feels weird about their body, but there are marginalized groups that have actual barriers to their health and wellness,” she says, “and that commitment to making those marginalized groups feel comfortable and feel safe takes a lot of insight and a lot of work.”

Her mission reflects a problem in a fitness culture that can be intimidating, CONTINUES ON PG. 12

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PHOTO: URBANFITCO

Artist Erin Liposky painting the dressing room at Urbanfitco

.HEALTH ISSUE.

DRESSING ROOM MAKEOVER

BY HANNAH LYNN // HLYNN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

D

RESSING ROOMS can be treacherous places, especially for people who have

struggled with body-image issues. Urbanfitco, a Sewickley-based clothing store, sells a variety of products, but specializes in activewear. Recently, owner KC Kaluhiokalani decided to give the store’s dressing room a makeover to create a more positive and welcoming environment for customers.

“You go into a dressing room, you’re alone, you’re vulnerable, and things might come popping in,” says Kaluhiokalani. “Who knows what you’ve already looked at on social media that day. It’s probably one of the most vulnerable places you can be.”

Previously, the store’s dressing room looked like any other, with plain gray walls, but for the update, KaluhioURBANFITCO kalani teamed up with local artist Erin 412 Beaver St., Sewickley Liposky to paint a floral mural inside the dressing room, along with words framing the mirror that read, “Like flowers we are all designed to be different shapes and sizes ... each one is beautiful.”

“Owning the store, I always hear a lot of women make self-deprecating comments about their bodies,” says Kaluhiokalani. “I just wanted to instill in them that what you think about yourself isn’t true.”

While most dressing rooms still have harsh lighting and no positive reinforcement, that dynamic might be changing. Aerie, for example, has added a basket of sticky notes outside their dressing rooms, which people can write positive comments on for the next person who tries on clothing.

“You can always have bad body-image days no matter how far along you are on your journey, which is another reason I did this,” she says. “You could be in the best headspace, but you’re still gonna have those bad days.”

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JULY 17-24, 2019

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where personal trainers have been called out for body-shaming clients. Even when gyms or other fitness spaces claim they are open to everyone, the images they project say otherwise.

To help combat this, Anderson adheres to a more radical version of the BoPo movement.

“To me, the body-positive movement is really rooted in fat activism and body politics,” says Anderson, adding that she feels comfortable identifying as fat.

“There are definitely a lot of brands and businesses wanting to promote self-love and self-acceptance, but they don’t necessarily have that same radical commitment to accessibility.”

This includes diverting from the onesize-fits-all idea of yoga as something reserved for a select few. Anderson recalls taking yoga classes in which instructors would physically try to make her body move in ways that were not possible.

“They don’t understand that it’s just because my body is larger than theirs is,” she says. “I have more bits than they do.

So, that transition from how bodies look to how bodies are moving and feeling is important.”

She would like to see the Pittsburgh yoga community work on being more inclusive by adapting to accommodate all students and trying to make it more accessible to wheelchair users and people who are differently abled. She believes they should also create a culture that includes a more diverse array of instructors.

“I think that people are just looking to see themselves represented in fitness spaces more and more,” says Anderson.

LIKE ANDERSON, FELICIA Savage Friedman, founder and CEO of YogaRoots on Location, has worked to expand representation in Pittsburgh’s yoga scene and beyond.

Friedman, a certified yoga instructor with 24 years of experience, teaches a variety of yoga classes at the Kingsley Association and Ace Hotel. She also developed a Certified Rāja Yoga Teacher Training program with an anti-racist and social-justice framework.

“It’s just how I navigate racism, capitalism, and sexism and patriarchy, and still wake up with joy, because it’s an all-out assault on my personhood,” says Friedman. “As a Black woman, I’m very much aware that the value of my life is close to nil in this society, so part of my practice as a Rāja yoga practitioner is that I stay as positive as I can, but I hold myself to standards of humanity every CONTINUES ON PG. 14

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.HEALTH ISSUE.

GYM ALTERNATIVES

BY SARAH CONNOR INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

B

EING ACTIVE doesn’t always have to mean grinding it out at the gym. For those of us that would rather not bench press or run on the treadmill, try these ideas for staying active that aren’t too strenuous and might even be fun.

Grab some friends and head to the park With the many parks in Pittsburgh, including Schenley, Frick, and Mellon, you can play frisbee, go for a light hike, or try a quick jog.

Take a dance class From hip hop, to ballroom, to jazz, many different dance styles offer a good workout. Local studios like Millenium Dance Complex and Balance Dance Studios offer adult classes.

Go ice skating Take a break from the summer heat and go for a skate at one of Pittsburgh’s indoor rinks. RMU Island Sports Center, Mt. Lebanon Recreation Center, and the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex all offer public skating sessions throughout the summer.

Walk the dog Taking the dog on a long walk through the neighborhood or even to a park like Riverview Dog Park is a great opportunity for you and your pooch to get some steps in.

Take the stairs It seems so simple, but skipping the elevator is one of the easiest ways to be active. If you work on the 22nd floor of a skyscraper, maybe walk 10 flights and ride the elevator the rest of the way up. You can change it up every day.

Take a dip in the pool Swimming isn’t just for kids on summer vacation. It’s a great way to get some exercise, and you don’t even have to swim laps. Set up one of those water-basketball hoops and play e with a competitive game e just friends, or maybe play a round of Marco Polo.

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JULY 17-24, 2019

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day, and Rāja yoga practice has been awesome for me as a way to do that.”

In addition to learning physical and Rāja yoga, the 200-hour, yearlong teacher training course includes exploring various social-justice topics through the Undoing Racism principles of the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond, a national and international collective dedicated to building an “effective movement for social transformation.”

Since launching the program in 2016, Friedman has graduated 55 yogis, some of whom have gone on to teach her regular classes.

The success of the program has enabled Friedman to take it beyond Pittsburgh, including to Greensboro, N.C., in October. She’s also looking to do trainings in cities like Brooklyn, Cleveland, and Seattle.

As part of the anti-capitalist component of her approach, her yoga classes are free or low-cost, and she offers scholarships and other financial aid to those unable to afford the training program.

She believes that she’s “actively changing” the yoga landscape by bringing in people of color, LGBTQ people, and others who thought they could never be

she says, adding that she’s not trying to create “mini-Felicias,” but wants to give students the tools to teach from their own experiences. “I feel really honored.”

CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

Erica Gadelmeyer, direction of operations at the North Side YMCA, does a squat balance workout with Abby Cook during her War Streets Crossfit class.

yoga teachers because they didn’t fit the stereotypical yoga image.

“It’s been wonderful to bring in mar-

ginalized groups and students of color, and they’re going out and teaching, and opening yoga studios themselves,”

Follow senior writer Amanda Waltz on Twitter @awaltzcp

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ANDERSON AND FRIEDMAN aren’t the only ones shaping the future of Pittsburgh’s wellness culture for the better.

Erica Gadelmeyer, the director of operations and healthy living at the Allegheny YMCA and the head coach at CrossFit War Streets, has set out to help make all YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh Association facilities more explicitly welcoming. This includes adding genderneutral restrooms and locker rooms.

She says the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh Association is also working with the local LGBTQ services nonprofit, the Persad Center, to conduct audits that will make facilities more inclusive. She expects Persad to present its findings at a YMCA staff town hall meeting next year.

“I think it’s really important to communicate that out [loud] to people and let your population know that these are the steps we’re taking,” says Gadelmeyer. “To put action behind those words and show that you’re working toward that really goes a long way.”

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JULY 17-24, 2019

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THIS WEEK ONLINE AT PGHCITYPAPER.COM

CP PHOTO: RYAN DETO

MORE THAN 500 PEOPLE GATHERED IN SCHENLEY PLAZA TO PROTEST THE TREATMENT OF IMMIGRANTS BY U.S. IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS The overall message of the gathering was to call on Gov. Tom Wolf to shut down the Berks Family Detention Center

JENSORENSEN

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.STUFF WE LIKE.

FOLLOW THE MONEY

BY EMILY WOLFE INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

P

ENNSYLVANIA’S HOTTEST Twitter account right now is … the state treasury department.

While Pennsylvania State Treasurer Joe Torsella has been on Twitter for a while, the new official Twitter for the Pennsylvania Treasury Department was launched just a few weeks ago, and it is growing fast.

Since launching, @PATreasury has attracted attention and hundreds of new followers with an informal tweeting style and a proclivity for animated skeleton GIFs. In a tweet thread explaining the genesis of @PATreasury, one of two unnamed social media staffers who run the account said, “We decided to create the account and get kind of

weird with it, but hopefully not too weird.” The authentic take got the eye of many in the Pennsylvania Twitterverse, and the follows started to pile up.

The weeks-old account has racked nearly 1,500 followers, most of them in the past few days. Just last week the account had fewer than 100 followers.

WESA’s Chris Potter heralded the account as “among the top three” best statewide row office accounts on Twitter already. (There are two others.)

Mike Connolly, Deputy State Treasurer for Communications, told City

Paper in an email that the Twitter account was a method that people “don’t normally see from a government agency” of engaging with Pennsylvanians and sharing information about Treasury programs. Torsella has also been active in promoting his advocacy for removing Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg from leading the tech company’s board, and has pressured him to do using the shares Pennsylvania owns in Facebook.

According to the Treasury, it’s gotten five times more website traffic from

Twitter this week than it does in an average week. Specific tweets have pointed to a database that helps Pennsylvanians reunite with their unclaimed property and the “Transparency Portal,” which lets viewers track the spending of state funds.

“Pennsylvania Treasury’s programs are for all Pennsylvanians, no matter what they’re into — sports, dog memes, Netflix shows,” Connolly said in the email. “With this account, we’re hoping to break through the noise and connect more with the people we serve.”

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.RESTAURANT REVIEW.

202 HOMETOWN TACOS

BY MAGGIE WEAVER MWEAVER@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

U

NTIL 2015, the small Pittsburgh suburb of Bellevue was still operating under Prohibition-era laws. Because of Bellevue’s small population (8,300 residents), the state approved two liquor licenses for the borough. Grille 565, a neighborhood restaurant that opened in April 2015, was the first area eatery to get a license.

The second was approved for Revival on Lincoln in late 2018.

With both licenses taken, there was no guarantee that 202 Hometown Tacos, which opened earlier this year, would be able to sell alcohol. Owners of the restaurant, Dave Caligiuri and Marc Seiavitch, had to win approval from the Bellevue council before the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board would even consider their application. Two months before opening, the two were still waiting on the borough’s decision. A few weeks before 202’s grand opening, the borough approved a third license.

Now, in their third month of business, Caligiuri and Seiavitch run a full bar program. They specialize in margaritas and have a full beer list and wines by the glass. In addition to being one of the area’s first booze-approved businesses, the restaurant is also Bellevue’s first taco joint.

Caligiuri and Seiavitch, Pittsburgh natives and childhood friends, reconnected in the hopes of contributing to Bellevue’s commercial growth. The idea for tacos, however, came straight from the people of Bellevue. During a municipal meeting, the duo asked residents what they wanted in their community, and the answer was clear: Bellevue

CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

Clockwise from top: spicy shrimp, carne asada, carnitas and Korean steak tacos at Hometown Tacos

wanted tacos.

202 Hometown Tacos calls its menu a “modern American flare” on Tex-Mex cuisine. There’s a smattering of Tex-Mex style — loaded nachos, hard shell tacos, lots of shredded cheese — alongside churros and traditional Mexican meats, like carne asada and carnitas.

Tacos occupy most of the bill, but for those who prefer no tortilla, there is a build-your-own bowl option. The restaurant’s signature bowl, the Bellevue bowl, has a little of everything: pulled pork, ancho chicken, shrimp, rice, and toppings.

I visited the restaurant for an early

weekday lunch, and chose four tacos: carne asada and spicy shrimp, at the recommendation of my server, along with pulled jackfruit and Buffalo chicken.

202 HOMETOWN TACOS 407 Lincoln Ave., Bellevue. 202tacos.com

Unable to resist guacamole, I started out with a side of chips, guac, and Mexican street corn dip. The guacamole far outshined the street corn, which could have been a little fresher.

FAVORITE FEATURES: Walking Taco

Karaoke

Good L’Oven

Remember those walking “tacos,” crushed-up Doritos topped with beef, sour cream, lettuce, cheese, and tomato? 202 has it, served traditionally from a Doritos bag.

Head over to the restaurant on a Tuesday night for Karaoke. Taco Tuesday and sub-par singing. What could be better?

202 partners with its neighbors, Good L’Oven Cookie Shop, on a sweet dessert: vanilla ice cream sandwiched between two of the shop’s creme brûlée cookies.

I may have wanted a crisper corn to dip my chips in, but the street corn worked well in my carne asada taco. The creaminess mellowed out the bite from pickled onions and added zest to the mild steak. In the jackfruit taco, everything was too sweet. The spicy shrimp taco seemed to be missing the spice, but won me over with an avocado cilantro crema.

I ordered the Buffalo chicken, prepared to roll my eyes at the American gimmick of topping it with ranch, but I loved it. It was the chicken that convinced me, cooked perfectly, shredded, and masterfully blending ancho with Buffalo spice.

Caligiuri and Seiavitch are drawn to Bellevue because of its energy. The town is on the edge of a boom, with the opening of Revival on Lincoln and soon-to-debut Lincoln Avenue Brewery.

202 Hometown Tacos isn’t just a chance for Caligiuri and Seiavitch to achieve their own dreams, it’s another step towards revitalization.

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Follow staff writer Maggie Weaver on Twitter @magweav

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CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

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ELIZA HOT METAL BISTRO

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

MERCURIO’S ARTISAN GELATO AND NEAPOLITAN PIZZA 5523 WALNUT ST., SHADYSIDE 412-621-6220 / MERCURIOSGELATOPIZZA.COM Authentic Neapolitan pizza, artisan gelato, and an inviting atmosphere are just a small part of what helps create your experience

at Mercurio’s Gelato and Pizza in Pittsburgh.

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

PAD THAI NOODLE

Eating Happily.

Leaving with Smile.

4770 LIBERTY AVE, BLOOMFIELD 412-904-1640 PADTHAINOODLEPITTSBURGH.COM This new café in Bloomfield features Thai and Burmese specialties.

Standards like Pad Thai and Coconut Curry Noodle are sure to please. But don’t miss out on the Ono Kyowsway featuring egg noodle sautéed with coconut chicken, cilantro and curry sauce.

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.

The True Taste of Thai

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.

2018 MURRAY AVE. PGH, PA 15217

412-422-6767

WWW.TOOKTOOK98.COM PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JULY 17-24, 2019

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Thai & Burmese Specialties!

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CP PHOTO: RYAN DETO

The tasting panel of Pennsylvania’s inexpensive beers

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RANKING PA’S CHEAP BEERS

BY RYAN DETO // RYANDETO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

I

T’S GREAT THAT small breweries are opening up everywhere, owned by community members with a focus on local ingredients and revitalizing business districts.

That being said, there’s no denying that craft-beer exhaustion is upon us, as the explosion of craft breweries doesn’t mean all the new beers actually taste good. And when you pay top dollar for a bad beer, it makes sense to slink back into the idea that beer should mainly be refreshing, cheap, and get you drunk.

With that in mind, Pittsburgh City Paper presents a definitive ranking of the best inexpensive, Pennsylvania-brewed beer available in Pittsburgh. CP commissioned (aka asked three willing friends) to taste and rank eight lagers (yes, pilsners are technically lagers) that are all brewed in the Keystone State and can be purchased for less than $1 a beer (when bought in cases).

1. LION’S HEAD DELUXE P PILSNER - WILKES-BARRE T This pilsner had a strong ar aroma and a good amount of sw sweetness from a strong malt pr le. It tastes the most like profi be and the least like water. It beer was the clear winner with three first-place votes and one second place.

2. STRAUB AMERICAN LAGER - ST. MARYS Wheat and grain dominate the nose of this lager, begging a crisp swallow.

And it doesn’t disappoint with a very refreshing, light, and flavorful finish.

Everyone had this beer in their top two.

3. DUQUESNE PILSENER - LATROBE The surprise of the group. This Bohemian pilsener is light, a bit wheaty, and drinkable, but still has plenty of beer aroma. Everyone ranked this third.

4. OLD GERMAN PREMIUM LAGER - LATROBE Not an amazing aroma, so drink this lager out of the can, but the flavor is oddly addicting and balanced. Old German

goes down smooth.

5. IRON CITY BEER - LATROBE Light and just a hint malty, this lager was described by one panelist as “bland, but inoffensive,” a pretty good beer for drinking in large quantities.

6. YUENGLING TRADITIONAL LAGER - POTTSVILLE The darkest of all the beers with a roasted malt flavor. But it’s a bit too roasty with an off-putting aftertaste. Also, Yuengling is vehemently anti-union, which left another bad taste in our mouths.

7. IC LIGHT - LATROBE Though a Pittsburgh favorite, this very bland lager just didn’t hold water to the other inexpensive beers. It does taste mostly like water, though.

8. YUENGLING GOLDEN PILSNER - POTTSVILLE This relatively new offering from Yuengling is a bit skunky but had some interesting Belgian-style notes. But that’s exactly why the panel rejected it: The flavors don’t work.

•

Follow senior writer Ryan Deto on Twitter @RyanDeto

20

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21

.MUSIC.

SOFT GOODBYES

BY JORDAN SNOWDEN // JSNOWDEN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

W

HILE WORKING ON its eponymous first LP, bummer-pop group Soft Gondola didn’t know

that it would also be its last. But lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist Daniella Trimble had a feeling.

“I didn’t know that this would be the last record, but I knew that while we were writing it that it wouldn’t be sustainable to continue playing music with people with tons of different projects,” says Trimble, “at least if it was going to be collaborative.”

Alongside Trimble, Soft Gondola is made up of Patrick Haley Coyle, Nate Campisi, and Ryan Hizer — all of whom are established members of the city’s music scene and have multiple musical endeavors outside of the band. Coyle, of late Pittsburgh band It It, purses solo work under the name Pat Coyle. As the audio recording engineer at Mr. Smalls Recording and Mastering Studio, Campisi’s name is splattered throughout EP and LP credits in the local music scene. He is also part of multiple bands, including Jiant Eagle and Locks & Dams. Hizer is the man behind the synth-rich project Good Sport and produced Sad Girls Aquatics Club smash debut EP, Vodkawine.

PHOTO: MARIE MASHYNA

Soft Gondola

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PGHCITYPAPER.COM

“We’re all super busy and feel that we can’t give it the attention that it needed anymore,” says Trimble. “So we decided it’s best to lay it to rest while we’re at a high point.”

The saying goes that things come into your life for a reason, and for Trimble, Soft Gondola served as a way to get her settled and adjusted in a new city. She started the project shortly after moving to Pittsburgh in 2016.

“I feel really comfortable here and I feel like Soft Gondola was born out of a lot of uncertainty,” says Trimble, “and managing those types of feelings and the style of music we were playing was very much defined by my sort of very particular writing style. I feel like I moved away from that and I want to explore things with new musicians. You can get into a cycle playing with the same musicians over and over again.”

On Soft Gondola, the band’s first and final album, Trimble’s emotions are on the forefront. “You’re just a fuck up who thinks I’m stuck up for wanting more than your routine,” she coos in “Fuck Up.” On the sweet and melancholy track “Why Do We Bother,” Trimble sings, “It keeps getting harder to imagine, imagine,

SOFT GONDOLA LP RELEASE AND FINAL SHOW Sat., July 20. 9 p.m. Collision. “Ask a punk for the address” $7-10. facebook.com/softgondola

imagine, we’ll make it through.”

“These songs are all super personal for me,” says Trimble. “I take from my everyday life and interactions that I have with the people in my life that I

love, and sort of navigate those relationships and write about them, so I can get those feelings out and process them for myself. A lot of the themes written about in Soft Gondola stemmed

from a lot of confusion feeling in life.”

However, Soft Gondola wasn’t written entirely by Trimble. While she did come up with the lyrics and guitar chords, the creation of the album was highly collaborative. When the members were able to find time to create together, each person gave the session their full time and energy. Trimble says she left space when writing to give the others room to each add their own flare.

“It’s cool watching three really awesome musicians come to the table and figure out a way for their different style to dance around each other in this thing that I wrote,” says Trimble. “[Coyle] took it in a much more experimental direction.”

Hizer described their creative process as surreal, mentioning that everything came together easily. “Everyone in the band is a very attentive and reactive player. As a group, we’re good at letting a song do what it wants, listening to each other, adjusting the arrangement, and finding spots to add color,” he says.

“I’ve been in many bands where getting a song over the finish line can feel like pulling teeth, so I’ll miss the easiness of writing with this gang and hope we find more excuses to work together.”

•

Follow staff writer Jordan Snowden on Twitter @snowden_jordan

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JULY 17-24, 2019

23

SEVEN DAYS OF CONCERTS KURT VILE

SUNDAY, JULY 21 About a decade ago, Kurt Vile left his post as guitarist in The War on Drugs and set out to pursue a solo career. The recordings were minimal, lo-fi, and far from sterile, but Vile’s sardonic lyrics, idiosyncratic guitar playing, and unfussy singing came through clear from the very beginning. After three fantastic, underrated full-lengths, Vile’s 2013 record Wakin’ On A Pretty Daze opened him up to a wider audience and found him on year-end lists with no shortage of breathless writeups.

Every album since has challenged and underlined the laid-back, classic rock persona (people think he’s stoned, but he “never, as they say, touches the stuff,” as he says in “Goldtone”). Vile’s been playing Pittsburgh for years, but his show at Hartwood Acres is part of Allegheny County Concert Series. Opening things up is the great Cate Le Bon. Do not miss this.

7:30 p.m. Hartwood Acres Park, 4000 Middle Road, Allison Park. alleghenycounty.us PHOTO: MATADOR RECORDS

Kurt Vile

FULL LIST ONLINE pghcitypaper.com

THURSDAY JULY 18

ROCK

BLUES

FLETCHER’S GROVE, TRAILHEADS. Thunderbird Café & Music Hall. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville.

JOHN NEMETH. Moondog’s. 8:30 p.m. Blawnox.

FOLK

SILVER CAR CRASH, RAVE AMI. Spirit. 9 p.m. Lawrenceville.

AUSTIN AND IVY. Engine House No. 25. 6 p.m. Lawrenceville.

LINDSAY DRAGAN, MINK’S MIRACLE MEDICINE. Liveburgh.

7 p.m. Glenshaw.

JEFF MILLER. Bierport.

3 p.m. Lawrenceville.

RIGHT TURNCLYDE. SouthSide Works. 6 p.m. South Side.

COUNTRY

POP BALLOON RIDE FANTASY. Pittsburgh Community Broadcast Center. 6:30 p.m. South Side.

BELLE & SEBASTIAN. Carnegie Music Hall. 8 p.m. Oakland.

WALKER HAYES. Jergel’s. 8 p.m. Warrendale.

WATERLOO REVIVAL, MATT STELL. Tequila Cowboy. 7 p.m. North Side.

COVERS

METAL GLEN SOBEL AND THE GOON SQUAD. Sub Alpine Club.

7 p.m. Turtle Creek.

ACOUSTIC JAGTIME MILLIONAIRE. Sweetwater Center for the Arts.

7 p.m. Sewickley.

THE SHAMELESS HEX. Hop Farm Brewing. 8 p.m. Lawrenceville.

HIP HOP/RAP

THE SKIPPER JOHNSON BAND. Southern Tier Brewing Co. 5 p.m. North Side.

FRIDAY JULY 19

THE FLOW BAND. Wallace’s Whiskey Room. 7 p.m. East Liberty.

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

ROCK ALICE COOPER, HALESTORM. KeyBank Pavilion.

7 p.m. Burgettstown.

WAILIN’ STORMS, NIGHT VAPOR. Gooski’s. 9 p.m. Polish Hill.

ROCK

COUNTRY/FOLK

THIRD EYE BLIND, JIMMY EAT WORLD. Stage AE. 6 p.m. North Side.

SPIRIT ANIMAL, PALMAS. The Smiling Moose.

6:30 p.m. South Side.

THE FILTHY LOWDOWN, PLAYGROUNDS, HAHN DRIVE. Mr. Smalls Theatre. 8 p.m. Millvale.

METAL

ACOUSTIC

SAD SUMMER. Stage AE. 12 p.m. North Side.

COVERS

WIZ KHALIFA, FRENCH MONTANA, PLAYBOI CARTI. KeyBank Pavilion.

6 p.m. Burgettstown.

ALFRED., SHORMEY, BBGUNS. Mr. Smalls Theatre. 8 p.m. Millvale.

REGGIE WATKINS QUARTET. Enix Brewing. 8 p.m. Homestead.

COUNTRY AARON LEWIS. Meadows Racetrack & Casino.

8 p.m. Washington.

HIP HOP/RAP

ELECTRONIC MOMA READY, THE DUCHESS. Hot Mass. 12 a.m. Downtown.

ALLENDSWELL, HOTSPIT. Gooski’s. 8 p.m. Polish Hill.

HOOTIE & THE BLOWFISH. KeyBank Pavilion.

7:30 p.m. Burgettstown.

HIP HOP DJ SOLODOLO, DJ MAKEITNASTY. Uruk Hookah Lounge.

10 p.m. South Side.

KEYSTONE VIBE, LIVING WITH MONSTERS, THE BISCUITS. Club Cafe. 7 p.m. South Side.

FOLK/BLUEGRASS

JAZZ

NATHAN ZOOB. Kingfly Spirits.

2 p.m. Strip District.

COVERS

FESTIVAL

CLINT BLIEL QUARTET. NOLA on the Square. 8 p.m. Downtown.

REGGAE

THE CLINT HOOVER TRIO. The Parkway Theater.

7 p.m. McKees Rocks.

FERRIS BUELLER’S REVENGE BAND. Baja Bar and Grill.

8 p.m. Fox Chapel.

ONE RAY. SouthSide Works.

6 p.m. South Side.

DAN GETKIN AND THE TWELVE SIX, ROSIE CIMA AND WHAT SHE DREAMED. Looking for Group. 7 p.m. Brookline.

THE DOUG EDGELL TRIO. Cioppino Restaurant & Cigar Bar. 7 p.m. Strip District.

DA/NA. Cattivo.

9 p.m. Lawrenceville.

ELECTRONIC

FUNGUS (GRATEFUL DEAD TRIBUTE). Rex Theater.

8 p.m. South Side.

SODAJERK. Thunderbird Café & Music Hall.

8 p.m. Lawrenceville.

ROGER GELIK. Knucklehead’s Bar. 9 p.m. Ross.

JAZZ

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

REGGAE

COVERS

HEARTSICK, REIGN OF Z, LUMEN. Mr. Smalls Theatre.

7:30 p.m. Millvale.

LIVE ON SECOND: FREE CONCERT SERIES. Carnegie Library. 6 p.m. Hazelwood.

24

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

SATURDAY JULY 20

HENDRIK MEURKENS QUARTET. Wolfie’s Pub. 8 p.m. Downtown.

FERN HOLLOW. Weather Permitting. 5 p.m. Shadyside.

METAL SHARPTOOTH, OBEY THE BRAVE. The Smiling Moose.

6 p.m. South Side.

MULTI GENRE SOUNDS LIKE SUMMER. Rex Theater. 5 p.m. South Side.

SUNDAY JULY 21

POP

ROCK

MONDAY JULY 22

THE STRUTS. Stage AE. 7:30 p.m. North Side.

LIZ COOPER & THE STAMPEDE. Cattivo. 6:30 p.m. Lawrenceville.

DRUGDEALER, PURR. Club Cafe. 8 p.m. South Side.

RIVALS. Black Forge Coffee House.

7 p.m. Allentown.

FOLK KORINYA. American Serbian Club.

6 p.m. South Side.

PHOTO: FREEDOM FARMS

The Kings Family of Freedom Farms

THE CLARKS SATURDAY, JULY 20

To celebrate Pittsburgh’s small businesses on Saturday, The Clarks are teaming up with Freedom Farms for Husks and Hops Hootenanny. The event will feature more than 20 locally owned breweries, live music, and food straight from Freedom Farms itself — all of which are included in the ticket price along with a Husks and Hops T-shirt and a Freedom Farms tasting glass. In addition to The Clarks’ performance, Meeting of Important People and The Buckle Downs are also slated to play. Ten percent of ticket sales will be donated to the Glade Run Lake Conservancy, which is dedicated to the restoration, ongoing preservation, and improvement of Glade Run Lake and its adjacent lands.

7 p.m. 795 Pittsburgh Road, Butler. $70. freedomfarmspa.com/husks-and-hops

FUNK/SOUL

METAL

THE O’MY’S, CLARA KENT, SIERRA SELLERS. Club Cafe.

8 p.m. South Side.

DEADAWAKE, NIGHTS OF MALICE, BEAST. Preserving Hardcore. 6 p.m. New Kensington.

BLUES

BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME. Rex Theater. 6 p.m. South Side.

JIMMY ALDER. Wolfie’s Pub. 6 p.m. Downtown.

METAL HOODS, NUEVA ETICA, VOW OF HATRED. Preserving Hardcore.

7 p.m. New Kensington.

TUESDAY JULY 23 PUNK/ROCK HASH REDACTOR, RAVE AMI, ANCIENT SKVLLS. The Government Center.

7 p.m. North Side.

SLEEP ON IT, LIKE PACIFIC. The Smiling Moose.

5:30 p.m. South Side.

SCREAMING FEMALES, DARK THOUGHTS. Spirit.

7 p.m. Lawrenceville.

INTERNATIONAL DABY TOURÉ, ASHÉ DRUMS, PETE PANDEMIC. Spirit. 9 p.m. Lawrenceville.

BLUES KATIE SIMONE. Wolfie’s Pub. 5 p.m. Downtown.

FUNK/SOUL

THE DAS/ROSSMAN/POTTER JAZZ TRIO. City of Asylum.

7 p.m. North Side.

METAL LIKE A STORM, THROUGH FIRE. Crafthouse Stage & Grill.

6:30 p.m. Whitehall.

COVERS

ROBERT RANDOLPH & THE FAMILY BAND. Jergel’s. 8 p.m. Warrendale.

SOUTHERN ACCENTS (TOM PETTY TRIBUTE).

Roxian Theatre.

8 p.m. McKees Rocks.

JAZZ

POP

THE BLUE-HOTS. Katz Plaza. 5 p.m. Downtown.

HIP HOP/RAP CHRIS WEBBY. Mr. Smalls Theatre. 8 p.m. Millvale.

FOLK SLAID CLEAVES. Club Cafe. 6 p.m. South Side

WEDNESDAY JULY 24 JAZZ RICH ZABINSKI TRIO. Rivers Club.

5:30 p.m. Downtown.

BONES. The Smiling Moose.

6:30 p.m. South Side.

ROCK/PUNK WOOLBRIGHT, FLORENCE & NORMANDIE. The Mr. Roboto Project.

7 p.m. Bloomfield.

HERON, MAN MOUNTAIN. Howlers.

8 p.m. Bloomfield.

HEX MACHINE, THE WAYWARD. Mr. Smalls Theatre.

8 p.m. Millvale.

PLASMID, THE TRADES. Gooski’s.

9 p.m. Polish Hill.

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 JULY 17-24, 2019

25

Album covers designed by John Van Hamersveld

.ART.

COVER ARTIST

BY LISA CUNNINGHAM // LCUNNING@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

Y

ES, YOU CAN and should sometimes judge a book by its cover. Or, say, an album cover so well designed that when fans hear the title, they picture the artwork on the sleeve long before the lyrics start popping into their heads.

It’s what graphic designers spend lifetimes mastering: the art of combining typography and visual elements to pull people in and take notice of a piece.

Like the brilliant psychedelic pop art on the Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour.

Or the iconic smoking skeleton spinning a record on the Grateful Dead’s Skeletons from the Closet. Or the photo collage art on the Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main Street.

Artist John Van Hamersveld, whose first-ever solo museum show Era of

Cool opens this weekend at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art, is a testament to the talent it takes to master the craft, designing not only those aforementioned covers, but hundreds of other albums, movie posters, logos, and various mediums for the past six decades.

Van Hamersveld laughs when referred to as a celebrity graphic designer, but after working directly on projects with so many famous musicians since before turning 30, it’s something that’s hard to deny.

One might say he was the Shepard Fairey of his day, both men contemporary artists with similar styles, which isn’t accidental. The two are good friends, despite the nearly 30-year age gap, according to Van Hamersveld.

“He really loves what I do,” he says,

sharing that Fairey has told him his Pinnacle concert poster of Jimi Hendrix, a silhouette of the musician that turns his afro into an electrifying

ERA OF COOL: THE ART OF JOHN VAN HAMERSVELD Opens Sat., July 20. Continues through Oct. 20. Westmoreland Museum of Art, 221 N. Main St., Greensburg. thewestmoreland.org

26

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

pattern of waves giving the illusion that his hair is alive, was a huge influence on the street artist.

“Before discovering the Pinnacle Hendrix poster, I had never thought consciously about what constituted, or how to make, a perfect image,” Fairey shared on his website in 2013. “John’s iconic image gave me an epiphany that sharpened my focus as an artist.”

Fairey even designed an Andre the Giant postcard after the original Hendrix image. “It’s an illustration with the perfect balance of designed restraint and idiosyncratic, organic style,” he posted on his site.

But it’s Van Hamersveld’s classic 1966 silk-screened poster for surfing film The Endless Summer that might be his best known work, with silhouettes of three surfers silk-screened on top of a fluorescent background of pink, red, and a yellow sun.

He credits Pittsburgh’s own Andy Warhol, who also worked with silk screening, as an inspiration.

John Van Hamersveld with his original The Endless Summer poster design

“He was a tremendous influence on my education,” says Van Hamersveld.

“When you were in art school in the ’60s, it was print-making, making sculpture, throwing pots, painting, and drawing. Andy Warhol came along, and it was movies, photographs, printing, distribution, artifact shows.”

Barbara Jones, chief curator for The Westmoreland, said she learned about Van Hamersveld because her assistant Bonnie West’s uncle was a collector of some of his posters and album artwork.

“We thought, with all the hot colors, it would be a great show for the summer months and one which we could do a lot of programming around.”

The exhibit opens on Sat., July 20 with The Endless Summer Beach Party, a celebration of Van Hamersveld famous poster design. In addition to a screening of the film, there will be beach music by local theater company Stage Right!, as well as food and other activities.

Van Hamersveld himself will make an appearance later this year in October for a conversation with Jones.

Era of Cool is the first graphic design exhibition at The Westmore-

“VAN HAMERSVELD’S WORK CROSSES OVER AND MAKES THE CONNECTION BETWEEN COMMERCIAL AND FINE ART.” land. With the accessibility of online design programs and apps granting almost everyone with a computer the ability to become an amateur artist, graphic design can sometimes feel like an underappreciated art form.

But Jones predicts it will be a fun exhibition for visitors. “Van Hamersveld’s work crosses over and makes the connection between commercial and fine art,” she says, adding that there’s so much to see, including 40 different album covers and even a surfboard.

As for the artist? “I hope everybody shows up,” he says, “and I hope they understand it.”

•

Follow editor-in-chief Lisa Cunningham on Twitter @trashyleesuh PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JULY 17-24, 2019

27

PHOTO: DAVID BERNABO

Bryce Canyon

.FILM.

WILD HUMAN

BY HANNAH LYNN // HLYNN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

F

ILMMAKER DAVID Bernabo wanted

to make something about the environment and climate change, but he knew that topic had been covered many times over by people with more resources and expertise. So he took a more experimental route with Wild Human, exploring the concept of the relationship between humans and wilderness, more specifically how humans often replace real wilderness with representations of wilderness.

It screens Fri., July 19 at the Mattress Factory, and Sat., July 20 at the Carnegie Museum of Art. The film opens with — and features throughout — clips from a trip Bernabo took out West last year. There is footage of Bryce Canyon, Vermilion Cliffs, and other National Parks and monuments; places that are wild but are also filled with tourists; roads; walking paths; and other markers of civilization. Wild Human incorporates this footage, along with discussions with artists, excerpts from movies, screen captures of “SimCity,” compilations of nature attacking humans, footage of musicians playing in nature, and more.

Wild Human isn’t structured like a traditional documentary. There are some facts and a couple of talking heads, but Bernabo mostly takes an experimental route, splicing together the clips into a kind of video collage with narration that falls closer to a lyrical essay. Peppered throughout are quotes from writers and thinkers like

Jorge Luis Borges and Umberto Eco, ruminating on maps and commodity, as well as anthropologists. Bernabo also talks to local figures, like artist Celeste Neuhaus, who has sculptures featuring bird decoys, and Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy employee Gavin White talking about the difference between humans and nature.

WILD HUMAN 7 p.m. Fri., July 19. Mattress Factory, 505 Jacksonia St., North Side. Sat., July 20. 8 p.m.

Carnegie Museum of Art, 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland. $5-15. davidbernabo.info

The first half of the documentary focuses on concrete images of nature — National Parks, maps, landscaping in “SimCity,” a fake Wild West town. But midway through, it gets to UFOs and other conspiracy theories. It’s a diversion that doesn’t necessarily fit within the aims of the film — examining the human relationship with wilderness — but then again, outer space is the ultimate wilderness. “The whole UFO thing is just the idea that wilderness is something that’s unknown ... that idea of the unknown is kind of this wilderness of life that surrounds us but that we have no evidence or proof of,” says Bernabo about the film.

He grapples throughout with the meaning of wilderness, whether it even exists anymore (at least in the United States), and whether the defi-

nition of wilderness is dependent on human intervention. “I like the really austere definition of wilderness as something defined by humanity, so if a human sees it, it’s no longer wilderness,” says Bernabo.

The film is broken up into sections or chapters, and the second one, “Affection for the Mirror,” is the most thought provoking of the film, examining what the difference is between human civilization and nature, if any. “Nature doesn’t care about you,” Bernabo narrates, before launching into a montage of trees collapsing onto roads, bulls overturning cars, rhinos charging at a camera. “And it would seem we don’t care much for nature either,” he continues, with aged clips from the height of the logging industry.

Why is a wild animal attacking a human or human structure any different than a wild animal attacking another wild animal? What makes humans not wild animals? What makes a human development not part of nature, even though it was created by nature? None of these are really answerable, but they’re certainly worth questioning at a time when the human relationship with nature has never been more endangered.

“In my mind, I’ve sort of romanticized certain aspects of nature, and then I go out there and I’m scared to get bit by a snake,” says Bernabo. “I think it brought into clear focus my romanticized notions of nature, and my fear of it, and my desire to not be afraid of it.”

Follow staff writer Hannah Lynn on Twitter @hanfranny

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Charles Shaughnessy and cast in Peter Pan

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

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

THURSDAY, JULY 25 • 6:00 P.M. TO 7:30 P.M. LECTURE: THE PITTSBURGH STORY AND REMAKING POST-INDUSTRIAL CITIES PRESENTER: DONALD K. CARTER DIRECTOR, REMAKING CITIES INSTITUTE, CMU SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE In this lecture, Don Carter, director of the Remaking Cities Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, tells the story of Pittsburgh and other post-industrial cities through his recent book, Remaking Post-Industrial Cities: Lessons from North America and Europe, which examines the transformation of ten post-industrial cities after the precipitous collapse of big industry in the 1980s on both sides of the Atlantic. Carter brings together in-depth case studies of five cities in North America (Buffalo, Detroit, Milwaukee, New Orleans, and Pittsburgh) and five cities in Europe (Bilbao, Liverpool, Rotterdam, Ruhr Region, and Turin). The book documents the cities’ recovery in the thirty-year period from 1985 to 2015.

About the presenter: Don Carter is the David Lewis Director of Urban Design and Regional Engagement of the Remaking Cities Institute at Carnegie Mellon University. He also teaches in the Master of Urban Design program in the School of Architecture. Prior to joining CMU, Don was the president of Urban Design Associates in Pittsburgh, where he led many of the firm’s most complex projects, drawing upon his broad international experience as an architect, urban designer, and developer over 36 years. He is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, the American Institute of Certified Planners, and a member of the Urban Land Institute where he was national Chair of the Inner-City Council. He holds a degree in Architecture from Carnegie Mellon University and did post-graduate study in urban design and regional planning at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.

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

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.STAGE.

FAITH, TRUST, AND PIXIE DUST

BY EMILY WOLFE // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

I

T ONLY MAKES sense that Pittsburgh

CLO is offering half-price tickets to children aged 3-14 during select performances of Peter Pan. J.M. Barrie’s tale of the boy who wouldn’t grow up has become one of the most famous stories ever told about the magic of imagination and childhood — an exhilarating adventure story for children and a bittersweet one for their parents. Though the stage musical adaptation is a more straightforward piece of children’s theater with less to offer the adults in the audience, there are one or two moments where it, too, finds that magic.

PETER PAN Continues through Sun., July 21. Benedum Center, 719 Liberty Ave., Downtown. $26.25-81.25. pittsburghclo.org

Jenn Colella, the Tony-nominated star of Come From Away, leads the production as the cocky, elfin boy who flies through the window of the Darling family nursery and lands on the floor, his blinking fairy Tinker Bell in tow. (Colella, in her CLO debut, takes on Peter Pan at age 44 in the eternally-puzzling casting tradition that began with Mary Martin who originated the role on Broadway at 40 in 1954.)

Wendy (Lori Eve Marinacci), John (Mario Williams), and Michael Darling (Daniel Frontz), left alone in the nursery by their parents, are soon persuaded to join Peter on the island of Neverland.

The island is home to three ensem-

bles, and the best is easily the pirate gang led by Charles Shaughnessy’s hammy Captain Hook. Shaughnessy is a child’s conception of a villain — overdramatic, conniving, and incompetent, surrounded by a bumbling crew always chasing down Peter’s faction of Lost Boys. But that charming “child’s conception of …” formula is less successful when it comes to Neverland’s fantastical “Indians,” led by the princess Tiger Lily (Desirée Davar).

At least the most overtly racist material has been cut from this version of the musical, leaving the “Native Neverlanders,” as the program rebrands them, with little to do besides slay a few pirates and drum a few tom-toms in the musical number “Ugg-a-Wugg” — almost lyricless now that the lines referring to offensive racial stereotypes have been cut out.

Peter Pan, in general, would probably be better off not being a musical at all.

The score, written by Morris “Moose” Charlap and Carolyn Leigh (with additional music and lyrics later written by Jule Styne, Betty Comden, and Adolph Green), is remarkably unmemorable, and few songs reveal anything new about the story, setting, or characters. When Colella does get the chance to show off her belt, though, you’re glad she’s singing. And when she climbs back onto the windowsill at the show’s end for a reprise of Peter’s ode to “Neverland,” the magic is all there. This is where Peter Pan works best: The wires might be showing, but it’s hard not to crow alongside Colella as she flies triumphantly back to childhood.

•

.FOR THE WEEK OF JULY 18

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Isaac Asimov wrote a science fiction story about a physicist who masters time travel and summons William Shakespeare into the present time. The Bard enrolls in a night school class about his own plays — and proceeds to flunk the course.

Modern ideas and modes of discourse are simply too disorienting to him. He is unable to grasp the theories that centuries’ worth of critics have developed about his work. With this as a cautionary tale, I invite you to time-travel not four centuries into the future, but just ten years.

From that vantage point, look back at the life you’re living now. How would you evaluate and understand it? Do you have any constructive criticism to offer? Any insights that could help you plan better for your long-term future?

CANCER (June 21-July 22): What would you say if I asked you to tell me who you truly are? I wouldn’t want to hear so much about your titles and awards. I’d be curious about your sacred mysteries, not your literal history. I’d want to know the treasured secrets you talk about with yourself before you fall asleep. I’d ask you to sing the songs you love and describe the allies who make you feel real. I’d urge you to riff on the future possibilities that both scare you and thrill you. What else? What are some other ways you might show me core truths about your irrepressible soul? Now is a good time to meditate on these riddles.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to buy yourself toys, change your image for no rational reason, and indulge in an interesting pleasure that you have been denying yourself for no good reason. In addition, I hope you will engage in at least two heart-to-heart talks with yourself, preferably using funny voices and comical body language. You could also align yourself gracefully with cosmic rhythms by dancing more than usual and by goofing off more than usual and by wandering in the wilderness and seeking to recapture your lost innocence more than usual.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Although you’ll never find an advertisement for Toyota or Coca Cola or Apple within my horoscope column, you will find hype for spiritual commodities like creativity, love, and freedom.

Like everyone else, I’m a huckster. My flackery may be more ethical and uplifting than others’, but the fact is that I still try to persuade you to “buy” my ideas. The moral of the story: Everyone, even the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu, is selling something. I hope that what I’m saying here purges any reluctance you might have about presenting yourself and your ideas in the most favorable light. It’s high time for you to hone your sales pitch; to explain why your approach to life is so wise; to be a forceful spokesperson and role model for the values you hold dear.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You are growing almost too fast, but that

won’t necessarily be a problem — as long as you don’t expect everyone around you to grow as fast as you. I suspect that you also know almost too much — but I don’t anticipate that will spawn envy and resistance as long as you cultivate a bit of humility. I have an additional duty to report that you’re on the verge of being too attractive for your own good — although you have not yet actually reached the tipping point, so maybe your hyper-attractiveness will serve you rather than undermine you. In conclusion, Scorpio, I invite you to celebrate your abundance, but don’t flaunt it.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The snow leopards of Central Asia crave a lot of room to wander. Zoologists say that each male prefers its territory to be about 84 square miles, and each female likes to have 44 square miles. I don’t think you’ll require quite that vast a turf in the coming weeks, Sagittarius.

But on the other hand, it will be important not to underestimate the spaciousness you’ll need in order to thrive. Give yourself permission to be expansive.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “I want to do things so wild with you that I don’t know how to say them.” Author Anaïs Nin wrote that in a letter to her Capricorn lover Henry Miller.

Is there anyone you could or should or want to say something like that to? If your answer is yes, now is a good time to be so candid and bold. If the

answer is no, now would be a good time to scout around for a person to whom you could or should or want to say such a thing. And if you’d like to throw in a bit more enticement, here’s another seductive lyric from Anaïs: “Only the united beat of sex and heart together can create ecstasy.”

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Did you hear the story about the California mom who started a series of forest fires so as to boost her son’s career as a firefighter? She is an apt role model for behavior you should diligently avoid in the coming weeks. It’s unwise and unprofitable for you and yours to stir up a certain kind of trouble simply because it’s trouble that you and yours have become skilled at solving. So how should you use your problem-solving energy, which I suspect will be at a peak? I suggest you go hunting for some very interesting and potentially productive trouble that you haven’t wrangled with before — some rousing challenge that will make you even smarter than you already are.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): The heroine of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass is curious, adventurous, and brave. First she follows a well-dressed rabbit down a rabbit hole into an alternate universe.

Later she slips through a mirror into yet another parallel reality. Both times, with great composure, she navigates her way through many odd, paranormal, and unpredictable events. She

enjoys herself immensely as she deals with a series of unusual characters and unfamiliar situations. I’m going to speculate that Alice is a Pisces. Are you ready for your very own Alice-inWonderland phase? Here it comes!

ARIES (March 21-April 19): An Aries reader sent me a boisterous email. “I was afraid I was getting too bogged down by my duties,” he said, “too hypnotized by routine, too serious about my problems. So I took drastic action.” He then described the ways he broke out of his slump. Here’s an excerpt: “I gave laughing lessons to a cat. I ate a spider.

I conducted a sneezing contest. I smashed an alarm clock with a hammer. Whenever an elderly woman walked by, I called out ‘Hail to the Queen!’ and did a backflip. I gave names to my spoon (Hortense), the table (Beatrice), a fly that was buzzing around (Fallon), and a toothpick (Arturo).” According to my analysis of the astrological omens, Aries, you’d be wise to stage a comparable uprising.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Welcome home, homegirls and homeboys. After observing all your homesteading in homes away from home, I’m pleased to see you getting curious about the real home brew again. I wonder how many times I’ll say the word “home” before you register the message that it’s high time for you to home in on some homemade, homegrown homework? Now here’s a special note to any of you who may be feeling psychologically homeless or exiled from your spiritual home: the coming weeks will be a favorable time to address that ache and remedy that problem.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The world is full of eternally restless people who seethe with confused desires they don’t understand. Fueled by such unfathomable urges, they are driven in unknown directions to accomplish fuzzy goals. They may be obsessed in ways that make them appear to be highly focused, but the objects of their obsession are impossible to attain or unite with. Those objects don’t truly exist! I have described this phenomenon in detail, Gemini, because the coming months will offer you all the help and support you could ever need to make sure you’re forever free of any inclination to be like that.

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 Monday thru Thursday at 10 a.m. at lynncullen.pghcitypaper.com PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JULY 17-24, 2019

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DOPE SHOWCASE

BY JORDAN SNOWDEN // JSNOWDEN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

I

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F IT WEREN’T for the presence of local open mic sessions, the Eddan Sparks Trio wouldn’t exist. So now, the pop, soul, funk band is giving back to the music community with its That Was Dope! Showcase, a platform where those selected to perform are guaranteed a headlining gig.

Brandon Lehman, Eddan Sparks, and Benji. — the members who make up the trio — all met while attending Spirit Sessions, a monthly open mic presented

by Rostrum Records and Justin Strong at Spirit in Lawrenceville. They have also performed at open mics at Hambones, Club Cafe’s Acoustic Café, and more venues in the area. “[Open mic sessions] are performances, but they’re also community events, and they’re networking events,” says Lehman. “They draw people of different genres, backgrounds, and ethnicities, and it’s a lot more representative than some standard shows tend to be.”

Infatuated with the idea and feeling as though there needed to be more opportunities for diverse musicians to work together in different formats, Eddan Sparks Trio decided to start their own open mic/jam session. In January, the trio began hosting That Was Dope! at Enix Brewing, with themselves playing as the house band. However, That

Was Dope! is not just limited to music; creatives of all types are invited to perform whether that means doing comedy, reading a poem, or even simply telling a story.

THAT WAS DOPE! SHOWCASE Wed., July 24. 6 p.m. Enix Brewing, 337 East Eighth Ave., Homestead.

Free. enix.beer

“The more we did them, the more they started to pick up and people started to come out to them, and they became a thing,” says Lehman. “We already knew how many talented folks there were in our community. What we didn’t expect was the impact it would have on spotlighting incredible new artists and helping to open up more performing opportunities in Pittsburgh.”

So Eddan Sparks Trio decided to take the open mic concept a step further by adding a showcase element. Handpicked artists, who have been consistently attending sessions and wowing the audience, will get a full 30-minute set to perform originals, covers, or whatever they choose. As with the regular open mic, artists can perform solo, with the trio, or bring their own band.

While they were excited about the showcase aspect, the group wanted to figure out a way to take it even further.

How would they reward those who get to the showcase level?

When That Was Dope! began, Kevin Saftner of James Street Promotions started talking with the team at Enix Brewing about booking other music events at the venue. Eddan Sparks Trio teamed up with Saftner and began discussing how to set up a pipeline for up-and-coming musicians to continue to prosper.

“He said ‘Anyone who gets on the showcase, have the next step be that I guarantee them a full gig at one of the other venues that I book,’” says Lehman.

Along with Enix, Saftner currently books at Wolfie’s Pub, NOLA on the Square, and more. “It was a very generous offer; it will keep new musicians rotating through these places that might not otherwise have new music like that.”

On Wed., July 24, the very first That Was Dope! Showcase takes place at Enix Brewing, featuring funk rock band The Sun Champs, jazz musician Casey Deely, and Eddie Provident, a worship leader at Hazelwood Christian Church.

“If we can build this pipeline and have a lot more people performing and feeling comfortable and supported, then that’s an important part,” says Lehman.

•

PHOTO: MARIKA DELOZIER

Eddan Sparks Trio

The 5th Judicial District of T Pennsylvania and Allegheny County Pretrial Services urges you to enjoy your weekend out in Pittsburgh but

make the right choice,

don’t drink & drive. .CULTURE.

CRUSH HOUR

BY MAGGIE WEAVER // MWEAVER@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

D

ESPITE HAVING the word “crush”

in its name, Crush Hour isn’t about speed dating. It’s about community. The new happy hour, with its first event on July 19, is creating a safe space for LGBTQ women across the city to come together, enjoy a drink, and connect.

This isn’t the first LGBTQ mixer to pop up in Pittsburgh. The group of queer women who started Crush Hour — Elena Tyler, Kristin Fezar, Ashley Durham, Cassie Lloyd, Emily King, and Mary DeMino — mention Impulse Pittsburgh, a dance party for the LGBTQ community and allies, and iCandy, an organization that gives the queer community unique ways to meet and mingle. But there hasn’t been a queer women’s happy hour since 2011, when Lez Liquor Hour held its last event.

The six collective members (they point out that any word could be used to describe this group; the members don’t have an official label), are a mix of backgrounds and ages, united by a mutual desire to revive a long-gone happy hour for the city’s queer women.

Though they have all loved and attended events from other LGBTQ community organizations, they knew that they deserved “all the options” possible.

Crush Hour was created to give queer women another social spot.

“In a time where queer spaces are closing up shop, and the most viable ways to meet someone new is through an app or playing a sport, we really need

and deserve as many choices as possible,” said the Crush Hour organizers.

Their motto is simple: “Good Vibes.

Great City. Gorgeous Women.” There’s no pressure to meet anyone; the collective just wants “queer women to feel safe, make new friends, and have a drink together after a long week.” Bring a crew and meet people outside of your normal social circle. All are welcome.

CRUSH HOUR AT ACE HOTEL PITTSBURGH Fri., July 19. 6 p.m.

Ace Hotel Pittsburgh, 120 S. Whitfield St., East Liberty. Free.

Search “Crush Hour @ Ace HotelPittsburgh” on Facebook.

The first Crush Hour will be held at Ace Hotel in East Liberty. In addition to drink specials, the gym will be open and set up for games.

Eventually, the collective members are hoping to add a philanthropic component to their happy hours. Crush Hour doesn’t profit from their events (there’s no cover or bar cut). They want to become a supportive channel for other similarly minded charities and organizations across the city.

There’s no limit to what the future brings for Crush Hour. Looking forward, the collective wants to move past “social drinking” and into other events. But for now and through the summer, they’re sticking with happy hours.

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JULY 17-24, 2019

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.FASHION.

CLOTHES MAKE …

BY TERENEH IDIA INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

T

WO OF PITTSBURGH’S most important purveyors of style, Natalie Bencivenga and Sara Bauknecht, co-hosts of Pittsburgh PostGazette’s Setting the SEEN webshow, joined me this month to talk fashion over a picnic.

COULD YOU TELL ME ABOUT WHAT YOU’RE WEARING TODAY? Sara: I am wearing a Michael Kors dress that my mom got on sale at Macy’s as a gift for me. My mom’s a good bargain hunter, so I’ve learned that from her. This pearl necklace, I got myself as a birthday present a couple of years ago. It’s by Pittsburgh designer Charmed by Jenn. She handmakes amazing jewelry, and I love trying to support Pittsburgh designers.

The earrings are Sabika in Robinson. My rings are all gifts. The one that probably means the most to me is from my high school graduation.

Natalie: The shoes are Christian Louboutin — a little wedge. The dress … I don’t want to pay full price, so I waited until it went on sale for $49 from $200. The purse was my grandma’s and is from the ’40s. She didn’t have a lot of money, so she made a lot of beautiful clothes.

The earrings were a gift from my mom, and these are Betsey Johnson from T.J. Maxx. I have my wedding ring from my wonderful husband, and the other ring is my dad’s wedding ring. He died in May, so my mom gave it to me, and I wear it every day.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE? Natalie: I feel like I am in a movie every day of my life. [We all laugh.] In this moment, I was going for 1950s Capri [Italy]. I don’t really follow trends and try to be more chic and sophisticated. But I also have fun, just go with my mood.

I try not to put myself in any kind of a box.

Sara: I like things that have a hint of sparkle in them, like glitz in some way.

Natalie: You’re a showgirl at heart.

[Laughs] Sara: I gravitate toward sequins. So, I

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CP PHOTO: TERENEH IDIA

Natalie Bencivenga and Sara Bauknecht

like to combine things that are stylish but practical and comfortable. I like dressing up, but I am comfortable with something that is athleisure chic and agree that I dress according to what I am doing that day.

Natalie: We have fun with it!

Sara: We have fun getting local boutiques involved. But I love things that marry practicality with sparkle and glitz, even my glasses that have rhinestones and are oversized.

HOW HAS THE STYLE RETAIL SCENE IN PITTSBURGH CHANGED SINCE YOU STARTED COVERING IT? Sara: I have seen it change immensely.

It has been 10 years since I started at the Post-Gazette. There has been so much evolution. There is so much talent here.

The thing about Pittsburgh is that it is not L.A., and it shouldn’t be. I have seen growth in the local boutique scene but also in designers who are based here making waves in the city and beyond.

I am really excited about designers who are setting up shop here ... Make and Matter in Lawrenceville or what Kiya Tomlin is doing with her storefront. Or even something like Love, Pittsburgh where the owners work in the arts and curate things that are made by local designers: jewelry, home decor, etc. I didn’t see that much when I started.

I am excited to see where Style and Fashion Week goes. They are still growing.

As long as the right people unite and work together, the sky is the limit.

Natalie: I see the up-and-coming, the fashionistas of Pittsburgh. There is a lot

Follow featured contributor Tereneh Idia on Twitter @Tereneh152XX

of diversity of style. People are starting to see Pittsburgh as more of a fashionable city and willing to wear head-totoe Stella McCartney or vintage and make it look like a million bucks.

I do a piece at the end of year called Seen Best Dressed, and I pride myself on making in inclusive. Style has no age, ethnicity, body type. I like to play with the boundaries of what we’re supposed to do with society columns when it comes to fashion. I’m looking for someone who has imagination and puts some time into it. What does style actually mean in terms of a social calendar and how we use it as currency and status?

We are not a big city, so there is more room to experiment. People can dress wild and amazing, because they don’t think about it as societal pressure.

•

This interview has been condensed for space and clarity.

Alignment based yoga for every body.

Yoga, Wellness & Dance workshops.

PHOTO: MARK SIMPSON PHOTOGRAPHY

Dancers and choreographers Madeline Kendall and Alan Obuzo

.DANCE.

FLYING & FALLING

BY HANNAH LYNN // HLYNN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

S

TATE-OF-THE-ART dance choreographed to modern pop takes the stage in Flying & Falling, the first show of Texture Contemporary Ballet’s ninth season.

New, expanded, and restated pieces of choreography will be showcased in the season opener at the New Hazlett Theater from July 18-21. The show features choreography by Texture’s artistic director Alan Obuzor, associate artistic director Kelsey Bartman, and dancers Madeline Kendall and Katie Miller.

FLYING & FALLING Times vary. July 18-21.

New Hazlett Theater, 6 Allegheny Square East, North Side. $20-30. textureballet.org

Texture’s contemporary style is highlighted by the musical selections for Flying & Falling, which in addition to modern pop include classical pieces, intense scores, and more. The opening number, “The Beauty of Flight,” features music from orchestral pop group The Piano Guys, who create mashups like combining Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 5” with “Secrets” by One Republic.

“A while ago, [Bartman and I] decided that we should choreograph to their music – it’s so rich and full and captivating, and so we’re taking this opportunity to do that now,” says Obuzor. “For this piece, we kind of just used the music as a jumping off point.”

In the second act, Obuzor choreographed his piece “Reshifting Time” to the music of Two Steps From Hell, a

company that produces songs for movie trailers and TV shows, specializing in an intense sound that builds with fervor.

Obuzor, who originally choreographed the piece on commission for Madonna University, chose the music specifically for its feel, which he describes as “powerful and dynamic and epic-feeling.”

The dance doesn’t have an explicit narrative but does involve a solo dancer getting pulled into and pushed away from a larger group. “[It’s] a little bit along the lines of those things in life that latch you and push at you, and you make those decisions of what you wanna give into or succumb to or stand against,” he says.

The show closes with the third act, featuring a 35-minute piece choreographed by Bartman and Kendall. The piece, aptly titled “Hats Off to the Greats,” is a tribute to iconic mid-century film music, including that of Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, the cast of Singing in the Rain, and more. The number originated from Texture WIP (Works in Progress) Choreography Project, which features shorter performances on a smaller stage.

Bartman and Kendall expanded the piece from its original 10-minute length.

The rest of Texture’s upcoming season includes Beatles & Bach in September, a show that, of course, features ballet set to the music of both Bach and The Beatles.

A highlight of Beatles & Bach is the symphonic rock group Cello Fury, who will play an original composition along with selections from the titular musicians. The season will also feature works from the WIP Choreography Project in November and a show titled Personal & Powerful in March 2020.

•

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GRAND RAND OPENING WEEKEN WEEKEND!

STOP BY & JOIN THE CELEBRATION THIS FRIDAY 17TH & SATURDAY 18TH!

1109 E CARSON STREET • SOUTH SIDE PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JULY 17-24, 2019

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.MUSIC.

BACKSTAGE

BY LISSA BRENNAN CPCONTRIBUTORS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

NAME: Vicky Carbone, aka Vee L. Cee, Garfield WORK: Promoter and booker for Steel & Bone Productions, a promotional group for metal shows; mail-order manager for record label 20 Buck Spin; worker at Higher Press print shop; advocate of Pittsburgh metal WHAT DO YOU DO ALL DAY? Up at 5 [a.m.], go for a jog, at the label by 6:30 [a.m.], after eight or nine hours to the print shop for a few hours. It’s tour season, so we’re super busy. Go home and hang out with my husky, respond to a billion messages and e-mails about booking shows until I’m exhausted, and pass out. I may eat dinner at some point, too.

HOW DID YOU GET HERE? My first Maryland Death Fest in 2015 — for years couldn’t go because I was basically working my butt off at Pratt on a degree in art design and education. I worked for years teaching kids, but it never really felt like it was the right place for me. It never did the same thing music did. Once I went to my first MDF and met people and had such a great time, I wanted to work on something festival- and event-related.

Met Chris Whitford from Winterforge Promotions who I started helping: sending invites, flyering, giving a hand at events. He took me under his wing.

From traveling, people started hitting me up, “Hey, I’m looking for a show can you give me a hand?”

CP PHOTO: JARED MURPHY

Vicky Carbone

the underground metal scene.

WHAT’S ON YOUR HIGHLIGHT REEL? Our first show of the season was Immolation, Derketa, Funerus and Ritual Mass. It was such a pleasure and an honor to work with Derketa and Funerus. I’m a huge fan, they’ve been around forever, they’re insanely inspiring to me. They were all in touch decades ago through the death metal tape trading. There are pictures of them together when they were still teenagers, so to bring them all together to play a show here honestly felt like some crazy reunion that I got to be a part of even though I’m not a native Pittsburgher. I felt like it was making history here in our own dorky way in

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WORKING WITH EXTREME MUSIC, DO YOU HAVE ISSUES WITH VENUES BECAUSE OF THE CONTENT? We always work with the clubs. We do our research too. I will cancel a show if I hear about someone in a band doing something that’s shitty. (Can I say that? Cool.) We won’t bring someone accused of saying things that are racist or doing anything that breaks the law especially when it comes to sexual assault. We’re really careful about that.

That’s part of the reason we don’t do too many events. You can’t make sure you’re working with right people.

That’s always important to us. Venues

are aware, so they never really question who we’re bringing in.

DO YOU ENCOUNTER ISSUES AS A WOMAN YOU WOULDN’T AS A MAN? I get men sending me angry messages, criticizing me, trying to break me down and discourage me from working harder, and all it makes me do is work harder. So thank you to anyone that’s done that.

I think there’s generally more respect here than in other scenes, and I have to thank Derketa for being around 30 years ago. That really helps. I don’t know what the climate in Pittsburgh would be without Metal Mary having been here.

STEEL & BONE: VOLUME 1 FEATURING HORRENDOUS, TOMB MOLD, IMMORTAL BIRD, SUPERSTITION, AND DAEVA. 5 p.m. Sat., July 20. Cattivo, 146 44th St., Lawrenceville. $25. cattivopgh.com

AS AN ARTIST, DO YOU DO FLYER ART? No, oddly enough. It’s too much pressure to try to put myself in a headspace, “Now I’m going to give myself an hour to draw.” I studied more sculpture anyway.

I could install little sculptures around the city that can hold someone else’s flyer. I’d get in trouble immediately. I’m not that sneaky anymore.

•

The Maine

.MUSIC.

SAD SUMMER

BY SARAH CONNOR // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

P

OP-PUNK BAND The Maine has

proven its staying power in the global punk scene, releasing albums and singles consistently since 2007. The group formed as teens in Tempe, Ariz., and has spent the last 12 years together touring and releasing seven albums.

SAD SUMMER FESTIVAL 1-9 p.m. Fri., July 19. Stage AE, 400 North Shore Drive, North Side. $37. promowestlive.com

The Maine dropped its latest album, You Are OK, in March as a follow-up to its successful 2017 release, Lovely Little Lonely. Immediately after wrapping up the headlining tour to promote You Are OK, The Maine has hit the road once again to take part in Sad Summer, an emo and pop-punk music festival now touring throughout America.

Sad Summer will stop in Pittsburgh on Fri., July 19 at Stage AE, also featuring bands Mayday Parade, The Wonder Years, State Champs, and Just Friends.

The Maine drummer, Pat Kirch, says the group’s most recent album introduced new elements of music not seen in its previous albums, such as orchestral

instruments and dance songs.

“We didn’t want to make an album that was boring,” says Kirch. “We wanted to make something that had a surprise at each turn, and I think that’s why all of the songs sound kind of different.”

Kirch and the rest of the band are excited to play the new songs but joke that with so many albums under its belt, creating a setlist can be tough.

“I think that’s an exciting thing,” Kirch says. “People that are fans of us have really latched onto everything that we’ve done, and they’re not just coming to the show to hear a particular song.

They’re coming to listen to it all.”

Sad Summer marks The Maine’s first Pittsburgh stop since its 2017 Lovely Little Lonely tour, which Kirch says is one of the best parts of hitting the road once again.

“I’m looking forward to playing some songs from the new album for people who haven’t seen us yet,” Kirch says. “All the places we’re going to on this tour, we haven’t been since the new album has been out. I think that it’s an awesome lineup and that we’re gonna put on the best set since we’ve been a band. I think that we’re gonna take everything we’ve learned over the years and put it all into the show.”

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JULY 17-24, 2019

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1130 S. Braddock Ave. www.3riversoutdoor.com PHOTO: PITTSBURGH CULTURAL TRUST

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.ART . .

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NEW EXHIBIT in the offices of the

Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council highlights a group of artists that have been historically underrepresented in the city. We Are Here: Asian Pacific Islander American Artists in Pittsburgh came together after the exhibit’s curator Karen Lue pulled together a show for the Lunar New Year at Everyday Cafe in Homewood.

WE ARE HERE: ASIAN PACIFIC ISLANDER AMERICAN ARTISTS IN PITTSBURGH Runs through December. 810 Penn Ave., Downtown. pittsburghartscouncil.org

The show, featuring 12 artists, is on display now through December and available for view during the Cultural District Gallery Crawl or by appointment.

The project is also part of GPAC’s Art on the Walls program, which encourages local office spaces to purchase and display art by local and emerging artists.

“I think all the artists have very different work, and a lot of it does explore themes of identity, but, really, I wanted it to be just a platform, just to uplift Asian Pacific Islander American artist’s work, just cause this really hasn’t been done before, just to give a place to represent them,” says Lue. She notes that there have been zero — or at least very few — exhibits in Pittsburgh featuring exclusively Asian Pacific Islander American artists.

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The art in the exhibit is mostly twodimensional, since it’s meant to be displayed in a future office space, but includes an array of mediums, including painting, collage, embroidery, and textiles. A group of four pieces by Eriko Hattori features bright, satin fabric framing sensual and abstract paintings of people, animals, and plants. An embroidery piece by Patty Tran that features four women with text that reads, “Foreign. Other. Exotic. Where are you from?” In a cartoon drawing by Estelle Tian, a girl holds a sign that says, “Yellow peril supports Black power.”

Lue says getting the word out about the call for submissions was the hardest part. While she doesn’t work full time as a curator, she’s involved in the local art scene and created a Facebook group for Asian Pacific Islander American artists in the city. She tried to make sure she got artists from a variety of backgrounds and was happy to have ended up mostly with artists she’d never worked with or heard of before.

The title of the show serves as both an assertion and a reminder that Asian Pacific Islander Americans have existed in Pittsburgh for over a century and deserve to take up space in the art world like everyone else.

“We are definitely an underrepresented group cause we’ve never really had a space and a place to show our work in this way,” says Lue. “I wanted the title to just capture that feeling and autonomy.”

•

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WED., JULY 31 THE SUMMER SLAUGHTER TOUR 2019 3 P.M. REX TEHATER SOUTH SIDE. All-ages event. $33-35. 412-381-1681 or greyareaprod.com. With special guests Cattle Decapitation, Carnifex, The Faceless, Nekrogoblikon, and Victims of Contagion.

WED., JULY 31 MESSER

SUN., AUG. 4 UB40

7:30 P.M. HARD ROCK CAFE STATION SQUARE. Minors must be accompanied by an adult. $10-12. 412-481-ROCK or ticketfly.com. With special guest Neostem.

WED., JULY 31 FAMILY FUN NIGHT AT THE MOVIES 8 P.M. SOUTH PARK SOUTH PARK. Free event. alleghenycounty.us/parks

THU., AUG. 1 NICK JORDAN 6 P.M. SMILING MOOSE SOUTH SIDE. All-ages event. $10-12.

412-431-4668 or ticketfly.com.

THU., AUG. 1 FASTER PUSSYCAT & BANG TANGO 6 P.M. JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE WARRENDALE. Minors must be accompanied by an adult. $20-35.

724-799-8333 or ticketfly.com.

THU., AUG. 1 COPPER CHIEF 7 P.M. HARD ROCK CAFE STATION SQUARE. All-ages event. $10-12.

412-481-ROCK or ticketfly.com.

With special guest Steel Mill Rising.

FRI., AUG. 2 7 BRIDGES - THE ULTIMATE EAGLES TRIBUTE 6 P.M. JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE WARRENDALE. Minors must be accompanied by an adult. $17-32.

724-799-8333 or ticketfly.com.

FRI., AUG. 2 AFRO YAQUI MUSIC COLLECTIVE 7 P.M. THUNDERBIRD CAFÉ & MUSIC HALL LAWRENCEVILLE. 21 and up. $12

JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE WARRENDALE. 412-331-1050 or roxianlive.com

accompanied by an adult. $40-55.

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SAT., AUG. 3 REPTILE & AMPHIBIAN NIGHT W/A PARK NATURALIST

SUN., AUG. 4 DIRTY HONEY

1 P.M. LATODAMI NATURE CENTER NORTH PARK. Ages four and up Free event. alleghenycounty.us/parks

7:30 P.M. HARD ROCK CAFE STATION SQUARE. Minors must be accompanied by an adult. $10-12.

412-481-ROCK or ticketfly.com.

SAT., AUG. 3 KINDO

SUN., AUG. 4 BAD RELIGION

6 P.M. SMILING MOOSE SOUTH SIDE. All-ages event. $13-15. 412-431-4668 or ticketfly.com. With special guests Sirintip and Adrian Bellue.

SAT., AUG. 3 LEGENDARY SHACK SHAKERS 9 P.M. HARD ROCK CAFE STATION SQUARE. Minors must be accompanied by an adult. $12-15.

412-481-ROCK or ticketfly.com.

SAT., AUG. 3 CHAD SIPES STEREO: ALBUM RELEASE PARTY 7 P.M. THUNDERBIRD CAFÉ & MUSIC HALL LAWRENCEVILLE. 21 and up. $10 412-331-1050 or roxianlive.com

SAT., AUG. 3 UNDERGROUND WIGGLERS AND CRAWLERS 1:30 P.M. HARRISON HILLS PARK HARRISON. Free event. alleghenycounty.us/parks

SUN., AUG. 4 UB40 6 P.M. JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE WARRENDALE. Minors must be

7 P.M. ROXIAN THEATRE MCKEES ROCKS. All-ages event. $35-50.

412-331-1050 or roxianlive.com

MON., AUG. 5 DEAD GIRLS ACADEMY 6 P.M. SMILING MOOSE SOUTH SIDE. All-ages event. $12-15. 412-431-4668 or ticketfly.com. With special guests Alive in Barcelona and Clio Cadence.

MON., AUG. 5 YOUNG NATURALIST PROGRAM 10 A.M. LATODAMI NATURE CENTER NORTH PARK. Ages nine to 17. $15 alleghenycounty.us/parks

TUE., AUG. 6 TED NUGENT 7 P.M. CARNEGIE OF HOMESTEAD MUSIC HALL MUNHALL. All-ages event. $49.7569.75. 412-462-3444 or ticketfly.com.

TUE., AUG. 6 BLACKTOP MOJO 7:30 P.M. HARD ROCK CAFE STATION SQUARE. Minors must be accompanied by an adult. $10-12.

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FOR UPCOMING ALLEGHENY COUNTY PARKS EVENTS, LOG ONTO WWW.ALLEGHENYPARKS.COM PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JULY 17-24, 2019

39

SEVEN DAYS OF ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT

ART: “TIMÉE” BY GUILLAME MARMIN

^ Thu., July 18: Mythologies

THURSDAY JULY 18 ART Artist Guillaume Marmin and musician Philippe Gordiani have joined forces on two inspiring visual works at Wood Street Galleries for their current exhibit Mythologies. Light from a video projector shines through 300 holes in “Timée,” inspired by Plato’s theory that each planet has its own musical tone, giving a soundtrack to the universe. Expect beautiful and eerie cosmic patterns.

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“Anger & Hope” refers to Pandora’s box, turning sound frequencies into a physical object “which appears to be alive and tangible.” 11 a.m. Continues through Sun., Aug. 25. 601 Wood St., Downtown. Free. woodstreetgalleries.org

FILM Heading Home: The Tale of Team Israel is more than just a story about Team Israel’s impressive run at the 2017 World Baseball Classic. It’s an exploration of Jewish identity in the context of American citizenship (the team included both Israelis and American Jews), the worldwide community (it was Israel’s first time qualifying for WBC’s main

tournament), and history (the process of identifying and confirming “Jewishness” has ugly historical precedents, but here, it’s a celebration of community). Join one of the film’s producers, Jonathan Mayo, along with Pirates announcer, Greg Brown, and Pirates president Frank Coonelly for Heading Home To Pittsburgh: Pirates Celebrate Jewish Community at Regent Square Theatre. The event includes food, giveaways, a screening of the film, and a Q&A with Mayo and Brown afterward.

The Pirate Parrot will also be there. 5 p.m.

1035 S. Braddock Ave., Edgewood. Free.

“Heading Home to Pittsburgh: Pirates celebrate Jewish community” on Facebook

LECTURE “When is it appropriate to use terms that are reminiscent of a specific history?” It’s a question guests are being asked during Jim Crow South and Nazi Racial Science. Dr. Dan J. Puckett, Holocaust and Southern Jewish history researcher, leads a community conversation at the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh, provoking thoughts on history, language, and suffering. Puckett, a history professor at Alabama’s Troy University, is the author of In the Shadow of Hitler: Alabama Jews, the Second World War, and the Holocaust. 5:30 p.m. Center of Life, 161 Hazelwood Ave., Squirrel Hill. Free, registration recommended. hcofpgh.org

PHOTO: KATE HAGERTY

^ Fri., July 19: ‘night, Mother

FRIDAY JULY 19 PARTY Never underestimate Pittsburghers’ appetite to congregate outside to eat food, listen to live music, throw back some beers, and chill out on a summer night. Bayardstown is gone, but the Birmingham Society is just getting started.

Founded by community group 25 Carrick Ave. (also its address), the inaugural night features food from Tango Argentinian food truck, and music from Dan Getkin, Danny Rectenwald, Joe Dep, Rocky Youhon and more. Carrick residents get membership for free, while outsiders can purchase season passes or pay $10 for a one-night visit.

If you can’t make this one, mark your calendar for the next Birmingham Society night on the third Friday of every month.

6 p.m. 25 Carrick Ave., Carrick. $10/free for members. 25carrickave.com

FILM As the effects of global warming intensify, sustainable farming practices become less ^ Fri., July 19: Sustainable

of an alternative approach and more of an imperative. Join Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens for a screening of Sustainable, a documentary about the problems of American food systems, the effects of climate change, and the people trying to transform the industry. Stay after the film for a behind-the-scenes look at the greenhouse where Phipps grows some of its food.

7 p.m. 1 Schenley Park, Oakland. Registration required. Screening is free with regular admission to Phipps. phipps conservatory.org

COMEDY Anyone who grew up watching Comedy Central in the 1990s remembers the frequently aired specials with standup heavy-hitter Sinbad, whose high-energy routines hit on everything from his love of McDonald’s to poking fun at Keith Sweat’s dance moves. He also had many TV and film appearances, including A Different World, Jingle All the Way, and the locally shot Houseguest. Now Sinbad will head to the Rivers Casino to show why he’s been named one of Comedy Central’s 100 Greatest Standups of All Time. 7 p.m. 777 Casino Drive, North Side.

Tickets start at $30. riverscasino.com CONTINUES ON PG. 42

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JULY 17-24, 2019

41

CALENDAR, CONTINUED FROM PG. 41

PHOTO: XPOGO

^ Sat., July 20: Pogopalooza

STORYTELLING Get ready for a night of offbeat storytelling when WordPlay returns to Bricolage. Described as being similar to The Moth StorySLAM or This American Life, the show features true stories from actors, comedy writers, and everyday people, but their tales come with a musical twist, as a live DJ spins a real-time soundtrack that could include anything from classical music to Top 40 hits. Make sure you make it to the WordPlay Happy Half-Hour for the chance to participate in free, interactive surprise activities. 8 p.m.

Continues through Sat., July 20. Happy half-hour at 7:30 p.m. 937 Liberty Ave., Downtown. $25. bricolagepgh.org

STAGE In the very beginning of the 1983 Pulitzer Prize-winning play ‘night, Mother, Jessie Cates reveals to her mother that she plans to kill herself before morning.

Throughline Theatre Company tackles the tough play, following mother and

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daughter as they deal with the aftermath of the revelation and her ongoing struggles with aging, depression, and epilepsy. Trigger warning: includes explicit content and language. 8 p.m. Continues through Sat., July 27. Aftershock Theatre, 115 57th St., Lawrenceville. 18 and older. $15-20. throughlinetheatre.org

SATURDAY JULY 20 POGO The Xpogo stunt team returns to Pittsburgh for the latest Pogopalooza, known as the world championships of pogo stick jumping. Bounce over to Community Forge to see the best pogo athletes attempt to break world records with extreme jumps, high-flying flips, and more of the most incredible moves ever attempted on pogo sticks. You can also try out pogo sticks in the Free Jump

Area, navigate a parkour course with Steel City Parkour, and grab a bite from a variety of food trucks. 1-5 p.m. Continues through Sun., July 21. 1256 Franklin Ave., Wilkinsburg. Free. xpogo.com

LIT Screen star Audrey Hepburn became known for her gamine style and iconic roles in films like Breakfast at Tiffany’s and My Fair Lady.

But little was known about her time living under Nazi occupation in the Netherlands — that is until author Robert Matzen wrote his in-depth biography Dutch Girl.

The book, released in April, unearths various archival materials revealing the incredible true story of the Hepburn’s early life. Hear all about it when Matzen makes an appearance at Barnes & Noble in the Cranberry Square shopping center.

2-3 p.m. 1000 Cranberry Square Drive, Cranberry. Free. robertmatzen.com

PARTY It’s been 50 years since Apollo 11

landed on the moon. Celebrate humanity’s first lunar steps at the Carnegie Museum of Art’s adults-only Moon Party. Get intergalactically creative and make futuristic art, learn from Pittsburgh native and documentarian David Bernabo about how human life has altered the Earth’s wilderness, and jam out in the moonlight at the outdoor dance party. 8 p.m. 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland. $5-15. cmoa.org

SUNDAY JULY 21 LIT Local writers Tamia Coleman and Kahlil Darden were inspired by the activism group Young Black Pittsburgh to create the appropriately titled Younger Black Pittsburgh, a book featuring over 40 letters written to motivate the authors’ peers. To celebrate

PHOTO: ROCKY RACO

^ Mon., July 22: Scapino

the release of the book, the writers will host a signing party at Arnold’s Tea in collaboration with Young Black Motivated Kings and Queens and 1Hood Media.

5-8 p.m. 502 E. Ohio St., North Side.

Free. RSVP required. 1hood.org/ybmkq

PILLOWS BYOP(illow) to Pittsburgh’s annual Giant Pillow Fight! The fight, what organizers call “people asserting their right to carry pillows,” starts with a mystery signal at 8 p.m. For 15 minutes, you can (gently) whack your loved ones with a (preferably soft) pillow. Just don’t be a jag about it! After the fight, stick around for a screening of How To Train Your Dragon. 8 p.m. Schenley Plaza, 4100 Forbes Ave., Oakland. Free. “Pgh Giant Pillow Fight!” on Facebook

4301 Forbes Ave., Oakland. Tickets start at $42. kinetictheatre.org

TUESDAY JULY 23 ART Local artist Francine VandenBerg specializes in acrylic, pastel, and photography, but is best known for her watercolor paintings.

Her latest exhibit Nightscapes: Original Works by Francine VandenBerg features various works that capture the evening energy of Squirrel Hill and Oakland. See it on display at the gallery in the Wilkins School Community Center. Continues through Sun., July 28. 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. 7604 Charleston Ave., Swissvale. Free. wsccpgh.org

MONDAY

WEDNESDAY

STAGE

FILM

Kinetic Theatre Company presents the Pittsburgh premiere of Scapino, a comedic play based on Molière’s 1671 work, Scapin the Schemer. Unlike the original play, which took place in Naples, Italy, this story unfolds in Naples, Fla., with two young men falling for the daughters of rival mafia bosses. Not wanting to get whacked, the men enlist the help of their servant, Scapino, to help them dupe the bosses with a grand scheme. Scapino takes the stage at Henry Heymann Theatre.

8 p.m. Continues through Sun., July 28.

Everyone remembers the infamous moment when president Trump name-checked Pittsburgh as he announced he was pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement, to which Mayor Peduto responded fervently. The documentary Paris to Pittsburgh highlights not just this incident, but the way cities across the country — and the world — are adjusting their workforce and infrastructure to respond to climate change. Catch a screening of the film at Duquesne University’s Wolfe Lecture Hall. 4:30 p.m. 600 Forbes Ave., Downtown.

Free with registration. Search “Paris to Pittsburgh” on eventbrite.com •

JULY 22

JULY 24

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JULY 17-24, 2019

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER

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IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-19-8704. In re petition of Baby Girl Mastriano for change of name to Anne Bella Mastriano. 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 August, 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-19-8122.

In re petition of Kortni Alexandrya Watkins for change of name to Kortni Alexandria Ferguson. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 19th day of August, 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

Gregory D. Thorkelson, 5725 Forward Avenue, Suite 401 Pittsburgh, PA 15217. Notice is hereby given that Articles of Incorporation were filed with and approved by the Department of State of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on April 11, 2018 for the purpose of obtaining a Certificate of Incorporation for a business corporation organized under the Business Corporation Law of 1988, as amended. The name of the corporation is The Nexus Group. The purpose for which it was organized is that of a private psychiatric clinic and those ancillary activities thereto and to conduct any and all lawful activities as prescribed by and within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

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ACROSS 1. Japanese WWII general 5. Magical charms 10. Go wrong 13. Oryx cousin 14. Samurai’s sword 15. “That is so-o-o-o uninteresting” 16. ___ Knight 19. Comprehend 20. Ivory, Coast, et al.

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25. Dandy tie 26. Letter after eta 27. Kavanaugh bench mate 28. Video game board 29. Soft serve ice cream selection 30. Kind of acid 31. Direction to a masseuse 32. Deli cheese 1. Verbal idiosyncrasies 37. Horseshoe’s 2. Woodwind used to symbol tune the orchestra 38. She had a 3. Mexican president beef with Taylor 4. Can opener brand 40. Chess 5. Jaden’s mom student’s lesson 6. Sch. near the 41. Type of battery Rio Grande 43. Dietitian’s 7. Jam and coffee containers (not at the same time, people) 8. Game where many players skip 9. Places to catch the big game?

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JULY 17-24, 2019

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PEEPSHOW A sex and social justice column

BY JESSIE SAGE // PEEPSHOWCAST@GMAIL.COM

S

EVERAL WEEKS AGO, I found myself in a conversation with a group of Pittsburgh-based strippers who were sharing the nitty-gritty frustrations of customer interactions.

It seems important for people to know this stuff, so I decided to reach out to three current and former full-time dancers — Eden, Sheena, and Iris — asking them what their male patrons could do to make their jobs better.

Their responses fit into a few broad themes: tipping, groping, gossiping, and judging.

you should know that this is a job, and it isn’t going to tell you anything more about us than that.” Eden adds that it is disrespectful to question a dancer about her reasons for doing the work.

She often had customers tell her she is too smart for the job. She characterizes these comments as “disrespect[ing] the choices I have made, framing the work I am doing as a failure as opposed to a strategically chosen plan.”

DOING IT RIGHT

SITTING AT THE STAGE/TIPPING Strippers do not make an hourly wage, and generally have to pay “stage fees” just to work on any given night. So, if you’re at a club, you’re expected to tip the dancers just as you’re expected to tip a waiter at a restaurant. “If you like what you are seeing, you should tip (and not be on your phone!)” Sheena says. “You can clap or give compliments, but tipping should be the first thing.”

Iris also adds, “I think what is very annoying is when people come in and they just watch, when they don’t really intend on spending money.”

GROPING “There are some guys who would grab my ass when I walked by, actively groping me, but who were not planning to buy a dance,” Eden recounts, calling this

a form of shoplifting. “I am using my body as a form of service, you don’t get to touch it without asking or paying.”

Iris feels similarly, saying if you have spent all of the money you have intended to spend for the night, it is better for you to go home and “not stay for the petting-zoo option.”

Iris says some customers would also dig for drama: “I hate it when they ask if we have beef with each other.”

Sheena speculates that this behavior is an attempt at negative bonding, but that it really isn’t welcome, adding that she isn’t interested in “creating your real-life reality TV stripper show.”

GOSSIPING

JUDGING THE JOB

All three dancers talked about how uncomfortable they feel when customers try to get them to engage in gossip about other dancers. “There were times when guys would start making fun of other dancers for being a bad dancer or sometimes it was racial, but, frequently, it would be about someone’s weight,” Eden says.

Sex workers have to deal with a lot of judgment and this is particularly frustrating when it comes from our own customers. “If you can’t really wrap your mind around giving someone your money to entertain you, then it’s better if you just don’t come to the club,” says Iris. Sheena suggests, “It is important that you can respect dancers generally,

Sheena, Iris, and Eden all said that it is relatively easy to be a good customer in a strip club: Openly communicate what you want, respect the dancers (including their choices and their boundaries), pay and tip generously for the interactions, and don’t try to push for interactions outside the club.

These boundaries help dancers feel safe, respected, and able to really engage customers, creating the best interactions for everyone. “Good customers are willing to engage in the fun fantasy play of what the experience can be, they are there to create a piece of performance art; and we can both enjoy that in the moment,” says Eden.

•

Check out next week’s columns, where I continue this conversation with Eden, Iris, and Sheena, focusing on how women and couples can be good customers and have positive experiences in strip clubs.

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

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