Alien Notions

The Carnegie International looks at life on a lonely planet

• by Chris Potter

Wrap Party

Many storylines emerged from the primary election that thrust Pennsylvania into the national spotlight. However, one of them wasn't "Who's going to be the nominee?"

• by Charlie Deitch

Elections: HosPAC takes credit for Frazier defeat

A PAC of local bar and restaurant owners are taking credit for Brenda Frazier's state house defeat by Dom Costa. So, who gets credit for defeating the Democratic Party's endorsed candidate?

• by Adam Fleming

Environment: Group protests mercury release into water by PPG

To draw attention to PPG's mercury emissions, the environmental-advocacy group Oceana organized an April 19 bike-ride protest.

• by Ali McNally

Police: Cops dismiss CPRB findings about Sgt. Hlavac

It took the Citizen Police Review Board two years to collect and examine evidence and gather testimony on a complaint against a police officer accused of recklessly endangering a group of bicyclists. It took the police department 12 days to curtly reject the board's findings.

• by Melissa Meinzer

Sports: Give Mike his job back, and get his dog one too!

Some fans say the playoffs aren't the same without Mike Lange calling the Penguins' action on TV.

• by Tim McNellie

Neighborhoods: One Hill reaches tentative CBA deal

After months of negotiations, organizations in the Hill District have finally reached a tentative CBA with the Pens, the city and the county.

• by Chris Young

The Carlton

Downtown's fine-dining mainstay offers a special-occasion experience that exceeds expectations.

• by Angelique Bamberg and Jason Roth

Farm Fresh

CSAs bring fresh produce to the table, and help support local farms

• by Melissa Meinzer

Vets Bill Deasy and Rich Jacques team up on Thomas Jefferson's Aeroplane

The disc has its playful moments -- "Just About You" is one of those silly love songs Paul told you about.

• by Aaron Jentzen

Double Wide Grill now offers down-home live music

"It worked out well, so they've decided to start having shows there on Saturday nights, which we'll be hosting once a month."

• by Aaron Jentzen

Bouncing Souls gear up to celebrate 20 punky years ... and getting happy

Frontman Greg Attonito uses "awesome" in about every other sentence.

• by Justin Jacobs

Electronic duo Discuss returns with second disc, Aeration Swells

Discuss favors musicality and emotion over gee-whiz knob-twiddling, conveying intriguing sounds and rhythms with a welcome accessibility.

• by Aaron Jentzen

Jewish folk-singer Debbie Friedman performs at Temple Sinai

The best-selling, most beloved performer of Jewish traditional music from the baby-boomer generation.

• by Manny Theiner

Emcee Busdriver performs at free CMU show

"This is the grassroots, off-kilter, rap-intelligentsia undertow that your friends talk about."

• by Manny Theiner

The Putin Years

Over a dozen screenings let scholars and critics debate cinema in the Putin years during the Russian Film Symposium.

• by Al Hoff

Deception

Marcel Langenegger's debut feature trades in the familiar characters and set-ups of the late-1980s naughty thrillers. One dull good guy (Ewan McGregor) befriends a slick new pal (Hugh Jackman). After the two accidentally exchange mobiles, Mr. Dull pretends to be Mr. Slick and finds himself in a high-class sex club. But after meeting a fragile blonde (Michelle Williams), things go very wrong. It's standard fare: an intriguing beginning followed by a Big Twist, followed by a lot of smaller twists, each making less and less sense. That said, if you can handle another fatal attraction, Deception ambles along companionably, pretending, if not quite succeeding, to be smarter than it is. And cheers to Jackman and McGregor, two capable actors who should know better, yet once on board play this hoary who's-zooming-who thriller straight. [2.5 out of 4 stars]

• by Al Hoff

At the Society for Contemporary Craft, clay get political in Voices.

Most of the works offer provocative, blatantly political and highly engaging narratives.

• by Savannah Guz

Rothschild Doyno Architects' new Strip District headquarters puts theory into practice.

• by Charles Rosenblum

This Just In: May 1 - 8

Highlights from the local TV news: Clap off!

• by Frances Sansig Monahan

After more than half a century, the owner of Jay's Book Stall prepares to retire.

"It's just time for me to get offstage."

• by Justin Jacobs

Unspoken Words

• by Bill O'Driscoll

Rabbit Hole

Any accepted definition of what makes a play would automatically exclude Rabbit Hole.

• by Ted Hoover

Impressions to the contrary, comedian Jim Norton does censor himself occasionally.

"My girlfriend says, 'Why do you say that about yourself?' and I say, 'Feel my tits.'"

• by Chris Young