Pittsburgh City Paper

National Speakers Apprise Arts Group of "New America"

Bill O'Driscoll — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:28:00 -0400

President Obama's 2012 campaign manager, Jim Messina, and demographer Manuel Pastor gave provocative keynote addresses at last week's Americans For The Arts national convention, held in Pittsburgh. A recap in Program Notes.…

National Speakers Apprise Arts Group of "New America"

Bill O'Driscoll — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:24:00 -0400

Nonprofit arts groups, perennially pressed for funding, also know they must adapt to a world of rapidly changing technology and, for many, aging audiences. While two keynote speakers at last week’s Americans For The Arts national convention, held in Pittsburgh, didn’t provide any reassurances on those counts, they did point the way to the future.…

Surprise Marriage Proposal Onstage at PrideFest

Bill O'Driscoll — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:00:40 -0400

Watching Maddy Landi on Sunday, as he surprise-proposed to Matt Bartko on stage in front of hundreds of PrideFest attendees on Liberty Avenue, you’d have thought Landi had his mind made up long ago. But while the couple has been together for six years, Landi (pictured above, on one knee) says that it’s only in the past few months that he actually decided he wanted to get married.…

Ceoffe "seriously considering" run to replace Dowd in District 7

Charlie Deitch — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 22:06:00 -0400

Lawrenceville resident Tony Ceoffe tells City Paper that he is “seriously considering a run” to fill the District 7 city council seat set that will be vacated by Patrick Dowd next month.

Dowd announced Monday morning that he would be resigning from council in July to head up a new non-profit focused on children's issues.…

Gov. Corbett signs anti-choice bill

Lauren Daley — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:55:00 -0400

As was expected, Gov. Tom Corbett today signed House Bill 818.

As we've noted in previous coverage, the bill prohibits health insurers from offering coverage for abortions for anything other then rape, incest or the life of the mother, on state-run healthcare insurance exchanges.…

MP3 Monday: Jack Wilson

Kira Scammell — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:09:20 -0400

Happy MP3 Monday! This week we have a track from Jack Wilson (a.k.a. D.J. Brewer)'s latest EP called "Breakdown to Breakthru" available for stream and download.…

Democrats' birthday gift ideas for Gov. Tom Corbett

Lauren Daley — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 13:34:00 -0400

The state Democratic party has noted today is Gov. Tom Corbett's birthday (he'll be 64) — and used the opportunity to take a shot at him on their blog.

In the post, it says, "Happy Birthday Governor Corbett.…

Dowd leaving council to pilot "start-up nonprofit" focused on children's issues

Chris Potter — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 12:05:00 -0400

City Councilor Patrick Dowd will be leaving his elected post to lead a newly established children's advocacy group, Allies for Children, this summer.

"This is just a new form of public service," Dowd said at a press conference held this morning at Downtown's CAPA arts school.…

2013 Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival

Lindsey Guard — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0400

Pittsburgh City Paper was on-site at the 2013 Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival from June 7 - June 16. Three Rivers Arts Festival quickly grew from the “little outdoor art show” to what is today the region’s largest multidisciplinary showcase of visual art and performing arts.…

Tomorrow at Small's — Second Empire CD release

Andy Mulkerin — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 14:38:54 -0400

If you like your metal with a healthy dose of symphonic bombast, the event for you this weekend is the release show for a new EP from locals Second Empire.

The four-piece, which has been around since 2011, is releasing a five-song EP that mixes shredding guitars, strong and sincere vocals and some strings and tuneful percussion and the like.…

Road closures for Pride this weekend

Lauren Daley — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 14:29:00 -0400

Venturing downtown this weekend? Remember, it's Pride weekend and the Three Rivers Arts Fest.…

I <3 My Bike program recovers stolen bike

Lauren Daley — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 11:57:00 -0400

Cycling advocacy group BikePGH launched the I <3 My Bike program with the hopes of making it easier to find stolen bikes by taking photos of owners with their rides, as well as the bike's identifying information and serial numbers for a private database.

And so far, it's working.…

TRAF Wraps up with Variety

Kira Scammell — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 09:59:00 -0400

The Three Rivers Arts Festival covers a contrasting trio of genres as it comes to a close this weekend. Friday is World Music Day with two performances by Jontre (at noon and 6:30 p.m.); world music group Red Baraat will perform at 7:30 p.m.…

City installs more recycling bins

Lauren Daley — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 14:49:10 -0400

Blue recycling bins have been popping up in city business districts for a while now, and Mayor Luke Ravenstahl today announced more are on the way.

An additional 80 recycling containers will be installed in Lawrenceville, Oakland, Shadyside, the Strip District and Squirrel Hill in the coming weeks, with the ultimate goal to eventually have them in every business district.…

Lunch-hour dance party launched

Olivia Lammel — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 12:00:00 -0400

Putting a new spin on the lunch break, the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater yesterday introduced Friendship to the midday dance party. On Wednesday, the artsy work crowd from the East End neighborhoods descended on Penn Avenue’s Quiet Storm restaurant for Beats n Eats Volume I.

DJ Nate da Phat Barber manned the turntables in the vegan/vegetarian restaurant’s lounge, playing mostly hip hop and house music.…

Port Authority announces detours for Pride

Lauren Daley — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 10:26:50 -0400

If you plan to ride the bus this weekend, take note: Pride events take place Downtown AND the Port Authority is implementing routine service changes to 70 routes.

For Pride, Port Authority has announced several detours and temporary stop changes.…

Film about civil-rights activist Angela Davis screening

Al Hoff — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 16:39:00 -0400

A new documentary, Free Angela and All the Politcal Prisoners, directed by Shola Lynch screens in Pittsburgh on Thu., June 13.

"Angela" is, of course, Angela Davis, an iconic crusader for civil rights in the late 1960s and early '70s, particularly for politcal prisoners.…

Arts Fest Juried Visual-Art Show

Bill O'Driscoll — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:59:00 -0400

We take a look at the Arts Fest's Juried Visual Arts Exhibition. See Program Notes.…

Arts Fest Juried Visual-Art Show

Bill O'Driscoll — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:56:00 -0400

As usual, it’s a few blocks from the mains arts-fest action. But the Juried Visual Art Exhibition (and neighboring Flight School exhibit) are worth the short detour up Liberty Avenue.…

Port Authority service changes take effect this weekend

Lauren Daley — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 12:42:00 -0400

As part of the agency's regular four-time yearly schedule adjustments, more than 70 Port Authority bus routes will see changes on Sunday.

Approximately 45 bus routes will be adjusted.…

Capitalist Poem #1

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0400

after Campbell McGrath At the Washington Pike Wendy's, the line serpentines across a scuffed floor. My turn at the counter, I see backlit signs/list/value meals — the assembly-line cook flips squares of meat, slices of cheese.…

LazerCrunk celebrates 5 years with guest DJ Starkey

Kate Magoc — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0400

It's organized chaos, and it makes for a bangin' party. by Kate Magoc There are parties — and then there's LazerCrunk. The premise: Take lasers, of course, and add energetic party music of no one single genre.…

The Summer Company's State of the Union

F. J. Hartland — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0400

The performance to watch is Jay Keenan's as the jaded Washington insider James Conover. by F. J. Hartland Can an honest person be elected President of the United States? Industrialist and idealist Grant Matthews is full of plans to go to Washington and fix what's wrong with America.…

A Conversation with Josh Fox

Chris Potter — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0400

by Chris Potter Josh Fox's 2010 debut film, Gasland, is best known for the image of homeowners setting their own tapwater on fire. And with that footage, Fox, a native of eastern Pennsylvania, provided the match for a nationwide movement of "fracktivists" — environmentalists who oppose the use of hydraulic fracturing to release natural gas deep inside the earth.…

What Maisie Knew

Al Hoff — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0400

A low-key domestic melodrama, told from the perspective of a little girl by Al Hoff Maisie (Onata Aprile) is a bright and lively 6-year-old whose otherwise enviable life in Manhattan — fabulous apartment, fun school — is continually disrupted by her self-absorbed and selfish parents. Mom (Julianne Moore) is a fading rock diva, alternating wildly between smothering and neglect; dad (Steve Coogan) is simply too wrapped up in his art business.…