A tragic passing can rattle a community — even more so when it's the violent death of two well-regarded community members. In the case of Sarah and Susan Wolfe, many in the arts community have rallied together to preserve their memory.

On Feb. 6, the Wolfe sisters were murdered in their East Liberty home. But one piece of good that has come out of their deaths is WolfePack Goods, a group of artists that has created charity artwork of limited-edition t-shirts, visual art, ceramics and more. Artists and artist groups involved include Commonwealth Press, Alternate Histories, Redraven studios and more.

WolfePack Goods will launch tonight with an Art & Rock Show at Commonwealth Press Warehouse, located at 2315 Wharton St. in South Side. The event will feature artwork, food trucks, print demos and live music from The Electrocats and The Fabulous Falcons, two bands from the Girls Rock! Pittsburgh program.

The artwork sold at the event and from WolfePack Goods' website honor the Wolfe sisters interests and will benefit Girls Rock! Pittsburgh, an empowerment program for young females that uses making music as a tool to teach valuable skills and life lessons. The money raised will go toward establishing the Sarah & Susan Wolfe Scholarship Fund.

The Wolfe sisters were active in the Riot Grrrl scene of the '90s and 2000s. The movement was concerned with and promoted female empowerment, much like Girls Rock! Pittsburgh.

Music SPACE, an eclectic new monthly series, begins tomorrow at the Downtown gallery.

Tomorrow's concert features nostalgic indie rockers Wreck Loose and atmospheric synth wizard Troxum. Upcoming acts include singer-songwriter Morgan Erina, and Silencio, a collective of musicians who recreate Angelo Badalamenti’s classic noir-jazz soundtracks for various David Lynch films.

The series was organized by Amy Staggs of Wood Street Galleries (which administratively includes SPACE) in collaboration with co-curator Andy Mulkerin, who is CP's music editor. According to Staggs, the goal of the series is to extend “SPACE’s programming in a way that would not only feature stellar, interesting local music, but complement the curated visual exhibitions.” Concert-goers are encouraged to browse Psychic Panic, the gallery’s summer exhibit, which will be open during each of the shows.

Music SPACE will be held at SPACE (812 Liberty Ave.) on the last Friday of each month.

Tickets are $5 at the door. Doors open at 8 p.m., and the show starts at 8:30. For more information, call 412-325-7723.

Pittsburgh's first-ever Complaints choir is finished collecting material — gripes about potholes, rain, gender equity, whatever — and the song is written.

But this local incarnation of an international project is still looking for singers to perform during this year's Three Rivers Arts Festival.

The Complaints n' At Choir is a volunteer choir made up of artists and area residents, and led by artists and musician Christiane D.

Area musicians crafted the more than 100 complaints into a song, and it'll be performed at 6 p.m. nightly during the arts fest at various locations in Point State Park, Gateway Center, the Cultural District and even the steps of the City-County Building.

The festival runs June 6-15. You need not be a good singer to participate.

There are two more rehearsals, both at the Hill District's Kaufmann Center, at 2 p.m. this Sunday and 7 p.m. next Monday.

Learn more or sign up here.

Today, three days before the scheduled opening reception, The Mattress Factory abruptly canceled Sites of Passage: Borders, Walls & Citizenship, a show meant as a cultural exchange between artists from Israel, Palestine and the U.S.

According to the museum, the exhibit was canceled because the three Palestinian artists — Bashar Alhroub, Manal Mahamid and Mohammed Mussalam — withdrew their participation.

A statement on the museum's website also read, "The Mattress Factory and guest curator Tavia La Follette would like to make a public apology to all Palestinians everywhere for the misunderstanding of this exhibition."

But the circumstances surrounding the cancellation — and the precise nature of the "misunderstanding" — remain unclear.

The last time this Downtown landmark and lunch spot looked so good, we doubt they had rock bands and singer-songwriters playing there. But tomorrow’s grand-reopening also marks the kickoff of the park’s summer concert series.

Everyone (probably even pigeons, to some extent) is welcome to join the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy to mark the end of five years’ worth of renovations, restoring the 1.37-acre urban park on Smithfield Street to something like it looked in its heyday. The park originally opened in 1955, but in recent decades had fallen into disrepair.

The park, unique for one its size, sits atop a parking garage. Its fountain has been restored and seating and green spaces enhanced.

The reopening starts at noon with live music by Mia Z. Remarks follow by speakers including Parks Conservancy CEO Meg Cheever, Mayor Bill Peduto and Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald. More live music follows, and there’ll be food trucks on William Penn Place.

There’s also a $100-a-head cocktail reception tonight, if that's more your style.

The $10 million makeover, a project of the Parks Conservancy, was funded by donors including The Richard King Mellon Foundation, the Colcom Foundation and The Eden Hall Foundation. The restoration team included Heritage Landscapes and Preservation Landscape Architects & Planners, with Pfaffmann Associates, Hilbish McGee Lighting Design, Atlantic Engineering and Mortar + ink.

The concert series continues at noon (weather permitting) every Thursday through Aug. 21.

Next up: Angel Blue & The Prophets (June 5), Lyndsey Smith & Soul Distribution (June 12) and Charm & Chain (June 19). The complete schedule is here.

Hot off the presses from Mayor Bill Peduto's office, an invitation for LGBT couples to take part in the first -ever wedding ceremony prepared by the relatively new mayor. Same-sex marriage came to be in Pennsylvania last week thanks to a ruling from U.S. District Judge John Jones.

The following is the official announcement of the ceremony — which will happen June 15 during Pittsburgh PrideFest — from Peduto's office:

Mayor William Peduto announced today that he will officiate a group marriage ceremony in mid-June for LGBT couples given marriage rights by a federal court decision last week.

The Mayor will officiate the ceremony in Triangle Park, adjacent to the Fairmont Pittsburgh, during Pittsburgh PrideFest activities on June 15. Following the 2 p.m. ceremony, Fairmont Pittsburgh will host a cocktail and hors d’oeuvre reception for couples, their families and friends in the hotel’s lobby.

“I said last week I would be thrilled to make the marriage of an LGBT couple the first I officiate as Mayor, and being able to share that moment with many others should make for an even more joyous celebration,” Mayor Peduto said.
Several couples have already contacted the Mayor’s Office to be a part of a ceremony and space is limited to 20 couples. Those interested in participating may contact Communications Manager Tim McNulty.

On May 20 Federal Judge John E. Jones III ruled Pennsylvania’s ban on same-sex marriages to be unconstitutional. “By virtue of this ruling, same-sex couples who seek to marry in Pennsylvania may do so, and already married same-sex couples will be recognized as such in the Commonwealth,” the judge wrote.

Couples were able to start applying for marriage licenses last week, many of which could be picked up starting today at the Allegheny County Marriage License Bureau. Gov. Tom Corbett has announced he will not appeal the judge’s decision.

• Londona

Welcome back music aficionados!

This week's MP3 Monday comes from a new Pittsburgh project from a veteran of the local scene. Chip DiMonick, of the band of the same name, and Jenn Neish make up Londona, self-described as "pop rock" band. The band released a self-titled EP, their first release, earlier this month.

Check out "Touch Me in My Dreams" the first single from the new album, below.

(Download link expired, sorry!)

• Photo by Alex Nathanson
• Man Forever and So Percussion

Man Forever is basically a man and his drums. Plus a few members when he's on tour.

John Colpitts performs under the monicker Man Forever, although you may know him as Kid Millions, drummer of Brooklyn krautrock band Oneida. Colpitts will be joined by percussionist group TIGUE (Matt Evans, Amy Garapic, and Carson Moody) in performing as Man Forever this tour.

Oneida and Man Forever are similar in their exhaustive track lengths and scarce use of vocals. Besides that, they could not be more different.

Oneida uses guitar, bass, drums, synth, organs and electronic effects to create a spacey, avant-garde style. Man Forever relies on drums and percussion instuments to create its sound. Man Forever's lastest release, Ryonen, came out in April. For the album, Colpitts pared with percussion quartet So Percussion, touted as the United States' premiere contemporary percussion ensemble.

The result is two 10+ minute pieces, "The Clear Realization" and "Ryonen," with driving drums that range from low to loud on the sound spectrum, with some effects and angelic sounding vocals interspersed throughout the over 30 minute album.

The band will play The Shop Saturday night with Dirty Faces and Bloated Sluts. 4312 Main St., Bloomfield. $5.