MP3 Monday: The Latebloomer and Moemaw Naedon
Jersey producer The Latebloomer and local MC Moemaw Naedon’s released their first album together, Circular Signals, last November. This week’s MP3 Monday offering, “The Line” comes from that collaborative LP. Take a listen below, and check out our review of Circular Signals from last month. The Latebloomer and Moemaw Naedon perform at the Rock Room in…
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf proposes severance tax on natural gas drilling
Gov. Tom Wolf announced his plans today for a natural gas drilling severance tax with funds going to the state’s education system. The CP spoke to Jeffrey Sheridan, the governor’s press secretary, to learn more about the intended plan.
Last week for Duane Michals show at the Carnegie
Pioneeering McKeesport native’s work on display through Monday
Listen Up! For Feb. 11
Every Wednesday, we provide you with a Spotify playlist containing tracks from artists covered in the week’s music section or or mentioned in our concert listings. Below is this week’s exciting playlist!
New show announcements including The Replacements, The Waterboys, Skizzy Mars
It’s Tuesday which, here in the wonderful world of FFW>>, means it’s time for some concert announcements! On March 6, NYC-based hip-hop duo Cannibal Ox will be stopping by Mr. Smalls, joined by Crimson Godz, Dos Noun & BZE, Hubbs and Fortified Phonetx ($15-18, on sale now). Also notable: The Waterboys on April 22 ($35,…
Heinz Hall cancels Cosby appearance
In a brief statement released moments ago, Heinz Hall announced it has canceled Bill Cosby’s performance scheduled for Feb. 21. The show was “canceled by mutual agreement with Cosby’s presenter and Heinz Hall management,” according to a press release. Less than a month ago, I wrote a story about the difficult position Heinz Hall was…
MP3 Monday: Commonheart
This week’s MP3 Monday comes from Clinton Clegg’s soulful new project, The Commonheart. “Can’t Forget You” is off the band’s debut Cannonball EP, which was released last month. Take a listen below, and look for the band this Friday at Pittsburgh Winery.
Gov. Tom Wolf pulling the plug on ‘Healthy PA’ in favor of full Medicaid expansion
Fulfilling another campaign promise, Pa. Gov. Tom Wolf is taking the first steps in jettisoning former Gov. Tom Corbett’s Healthy PA health-care plan in favor of a full, traditional Medicaid expansion, the governor’s office announced a short time ago.
Lynn Cullen Live 2/9/15
Video Archive You can listen to the audio archive here. Mall rats gone wrong. Fights and shootings scare away American shoppers. Brian Williams and the aftermath of “exaggeration”. Bruce Jenner is involved in a fatal car accident. Where we are getting the news from now that news anchors are compromised? The truth about what happened…
Trailer for Sale or Rent: Seventh Son
When films are not screened for critics locally, we review the trailers.
New Exhibit on Vanka Murals Opens Tomorrow
One of Pittsburgh’s greatest art treasures is explored and celebrated in Behind the Murals: History and Other Stories. The exhibit looks at the Millvale murals of Maxo Vanka, who famously expressed the plight of working people in war and industry on the walls of Millvale’s St. Nicholas Croatian Catholic Church. The exhibit, organized by The…
Lynn Cullen Live 2/6/15
Video Archive You can listen to the audio archive here. Lynn rants against capitalism. The Wall Street Journal Mansion’s section reports on little girl’s bedrooms and it’s just as disturbing as you think it would be. Harvard bans romantic relationships between students and faculty. Brian Williams has to eat crow. Audio Only Archive Listen to…
City’s Black History Month exhibit honors young leaders
This year, in recognition of Black History Month, the City of Pittsburgh honored leaders who are shaping the future leaders of tomorrow.
Jesmyn Ward speaks Monday at the Carnegie Music Hall
The award-winning author of Men We Reaped and Salvage the Bones hits town courtesy of Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures’ Monday Night Lectures. Zacchiaus McKee has details in Program Notes.
Saturday Event at Vanessa German’s New Art House
In conjunction with her solo exhibit at Concept Gallery, German holds An Ordinary Sacred Happening this Saturday afternoon. German is a performer and mixed-media artist who makes works out of repurposed everyday materials from paper bags and bottles to beads, buttons and fabric. Her show at Concept is called Vanessa German: The Ordinary Sacred. Her…
Lynn Cullen Live 2/5/15
Video Archive You can listen to the audio archive here. Picasso’s granddaughter sells some of his paintings. Bruce Jenner is indeed transitioning and will be doing so on a tv show. Does genius have to come with meaness? All discussed today by Tom and Lynn. Audio Only Archive Listen to the Audio Archives on with…
CP Weekend Podcast – Feb. 6 – Feb. 8, 2015
This week on the CP Weekend Podcast: Find a date, fast, buy something special for that someone special, and snack on some locally-made treats.
Acclaimed company Ronald K. Brown/Evidence returns for first time in six years
RONALD K. BROWN/EVIDENCE 8 p.m., Sat., Feb. 7 Byham Theater 101 Sixth St. Downtown $19-55 412-456-6666 or trustarts.org Dance artists find inspiration just about anywhere, from fairy tales to world conflicts. But perhaps the most fertile area for inspiration is human relationships. For dancer/choreographer Ronald K. Brown, the death of close friend and mentor Sherrill…
The 2015 Oscar-nominated documentary short films screen
Oscar-nominated Shorts: Documentary Program In English, and various languages, with subtitles Feb. 6-8, Feb. 13-15, and Feb. 21 and 22 Melwood No Academy Awards ballot is complete without tackling one of its most provocative categories: the documentary short films, where viewers can find works on less-mainstream and more personal topics. This year’s program is two-and-a-half-hours…
Alien Outpost
The press notes for Alien Outpost say that the pitch for this sci-fi/war actioner was a mash-up of Restrepo and Battle: L.A. That’s a fair description, as Jabbar Raisani’s film combines the mordant humor and institutional futility depicted in the 2010 documentary about a remote Army outpost in Afghanistan with the blast-’em action of a…
Project Almanac
Down in the basement, David (Jonny Weston) finds the time-machine gizmo his late dad had been working on, so he and a couple of his smart friends get it up and running. They make a pact to always time-travel together (oh, kids!) and set about satisfying some pretty low-ball goals: passing an exam, having a…
3 Nights in the Desert
Three former college buddies, who used to be a band that didn’t quite make it big way back when, reunite around their 30th birthdays at a remote homestead in the California desert. And yes, there is alcohol consumed, and yes, over the three nights (and days), the usual score-settling of betrayals and revelations ensues. Gabriel…
Film Kitchen
The monthly series for local and independent artists features work by “sprocket scientist” tENTATIVELY, A cONVENIENCE. The 35-minute program “8 Shorts from 37 Years” includes “Diszey Spots,” which combines lore about the frozen head of “Walt Diszey” with manipulated trailers for 1960s Disney movies to explain how the visionary behind Snow White and the Seven…
Short List: February 5 – 8
SPOTLIGHT: Sat., Feb. 7 — Comedy Lee Camp likes his new gig as head writer and host of Redacted Tonight, a cable comedy-news show on RT America. The weekly program, which premiered in June, is Daily Show-like in format. But Camp says what disinguishes him from, say, Jon Stewart, is that Camp is an activist…
Penn Hills native Tommy Brown is up for Grammys for work with Ariana Grande, Chris Brown
As the music industry gets ready for its biggest night, the Grammy Awards, there’s one young Penn Hills native who’s had a hand in two nominated records — but most Pittsburghers wouldn’t know him by name. Tommy Brown is a songwriter and producer on the rise; outside of the music industry, he might be a…
Stuff We Like
East Busway. Say what you will about the Port Authority, but those P1 and P2 routes are a veritable wormhole through the city. How else, besides personal jetpack, are you gonna get from Downtown to East Lib in, like, mere minutes? Isitpghrecyclingweek.com. Is this the week you’re supposed to put out the blue bags? Check…
Chunklet founder releases lost Speaking Canaries recording
As founder of the magazine Chunklet and author of The Indie Cred Test, Henry H. Owings gets excited about obscure rock music. So when he came across an unreleased Speaking Canaries cassette, he could hardly believe his luck. The Speaking Canaries — sometimes rendered “Thee Speaking Canaries” or “The(e) Speaking Canaries” — are known to…
Caribéana
Caribéana 6022 Saltsburg Road Penn Hills 412-793-9937 Hours: Mon.-Thu. 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Prices: Appetizers, salads and sandwiches $2-9; entrees $10-15 Liquor: BYOB A cold night calls for a warm meal, and Jamaican restaurants deliver on a number of fronts. The island vibe evokes sunny beaches; jerk chicken can usually be counted…
Critics’ Picks, Feb. 5-11
[AVANT-GARDE] + THU., FEB. 5 Surrender your senses tonight to Drums & Drones, a touring sound-and-video collaboration from drummer Brian Chase (of The Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and video artist Ursula Scherrer. Chase creates minimalist drone pieces using percussion and feedback; Scherrer’s video accompaniments are abstract, toying with light and movement. The result: a thought-provoking zone-out…
Meeting of the Malts suggests a bright future for PA craft beer
Late last month, about 160 scruffy dudes piled into the ballroom at the North Side’s Priory Hotel. The Avett Brothers weren’t playing a surprise show, nor was Apple unveiling some new wearable tech. They gathered instead to celebrate that other great love of scruffy dudes: beer. The third Meeting of the Malts brought together brewers,…
New Releases
Douglas Lowell Blevins Cruel Variations (Self-released) douglaslowellblevins.bandcamp.com There’s something refreshing about a straight-up rock record, sans the “indie.” Douglas Lowell Blevins, a Pittsburgh native, brings the big riffs, steel guitars and, yes, even some guitar solos on his Cruel Variations EP. Blevins smoothly navigates blues, Americana and old-fashioned rock ‘n’ roll, and he luckily doesn’t…
The Ball Joint, in Beaver Falls, offers fun-to-eat of meatballs
Beaver Falls may not be your prototypical college town, but located just down the street from Geneva College is a classic-style college eatery that’s worth a weekend drive or a detour if you happen to be in the area. The Ball Joint, as you might be able to guess, specializes in gourmet meatballs and homemade…
Grassroots campaign helps consumers find health-care plans before Feb. 15 Affordable Care Act deadline
As an organizer for Enroll America, Sean Murphy’s job is to spread the word about the Affordable Care Act. But for someone whose job is related to health care, he hasn’t been eating very healthy. “I’ve had so much pizza since I started this job,” says Murphy, a regional organizer for the nonprofit. But the…
Prussia: 1866 is the latest from theatrical force Gab Cody
PRUSSIA: 1866 Feb. 5-22. Pittsburgh Playhouse 222 Craft Ave. Oakland $15-27 (Feb. 7, 14 and 21 are pay-what-you-will) 412-392-8000 or pittsburgh playhouse.com Over the past four years, Gab Cody’s cut a swath through local theater. Since 2011, she has: written and co-starred in Fat Beckett, an audacious comedic update of Waiting for Godot, for Quantum…
Allegheny County stepping up efforts to identify, help homeless youth
On a recent Thursday afternoon, Derek Smithson is hanging out with a handful of homeless young adults at Downtown’s Gay and Lesbian Community Center; they have gathered to play pool, work on crafts projects and snack on Chinese food. He’s not chronically homeless; the 19-year-old is on the third day of a stint living in…
Ed Ochester’s new collection champions poetic simplicity
ED OCHESTER BOOK RELEASE PARTY 7 p.m. Sat., Feb. 28 East End Book Exchange 4754 Liberty Ave. Bloomfield eastendbook exchange.com In the poem “Riding Westward,” from his new collection, Sugar Run Road (Autumn House Press), Ed Ochester challenges “obscure” avant-garde writing to become more readable. He sums up his poetics: “I like the complexity /…
Modern History: Pittsburgh Black History Month exhibit will focus on today’s leaders
Three years ago, Chay Tyler got a chance to put the history degree he earned at Duquesne University to good use when he began curating the city’s Black History Month installation at the City-County Building. That year, the Citiparks program coordinator chose a Civil War theme. Last year the exhibit focused on black cartoon artists.…
Mr. Joy at City Theatre
MR. JOY continues through Feb. 15 City Theatre 1300 Bingham St. South Side $15-61 412-431-2489 or citytheatre company.org Three years ago, City Theatre presented Through the Night, a one-man show written by and starring Daniel Beaty. It was an evening that knocked my socks off, so I was very eager to see Beaty’s new one-person…
Pouring Out Their Hearts: Tea is more than “water and leaves” to Lawrenceville purveyor
It’s another frigid day in Lawrenceville, and a big guy — shaved head, tattoos — blows into Gryphon’s Tea Shop, a tiny, two-seat Butler Street emporium. “What do you have,” he shivers, “for a cold day?” “Mint?” proprietor Diana Stoughton offers. He shakes his head. “Chamomile?” she suggests, yanking down a jar of the sweet,…
Brahman/i at Quantum Theatre
BRAHMAN/I continues through Feb. 22 Quantum Theatre at the Bloomfield-Garfield Community Activity Center 113 N. Pacific Ave. Garfield $18-49 412-362-1713 or quantum theatre.com The first problem in writing about Quantum Theatre’s production of Brahman/i is the pesky pronoun. There isn’t one, at least not in standard English, for anyone who isn’t a conventional he or…
The hypocrisy of Rob McCord
Last year, during a candidates’ forum at Carnegie Mellon University, Lebanon County Commissioner Jo Ellen Litz told the capacity crowd that her favorite part of Pittsburgh was Presque Island. That, along with many other gaffes that day, led me to the conclusion that of the eight Democrats on that stage, she was by far the…
My Fair Lady at Pittsburgh Public Theater
MY FAIR LADY continues through Feb. 22. Pittsburgh Public Theater 621 Penn Ave. Downtown $15.75-62 412-316-1600 or ppt.org It’s difficult now to understand what a monster hit Lerner & Loewe’s My Fair Lady was when it opened in 1956. The show ran for more than five years and won six Tonys, and the cast recording…
Savage Love
My husband and I are a straight couple in our early 50s, and we’ve been married for more than 30 years. We were raised to wait for sex till we got married — this was back in the early ’80s — and we did. Our wedding night was pretty disappointing, since neither of us knew…
Lynn Cullen Live 2/4/15
Video Archive Lance Armstrong lies about car accident and says that his girlfriend was driving. Pilots burned alive by ISIS. Harper Lee to publish a second novel. A disappointing look at popular fiction of the last ten years. Audio Only Archive Listen to the Audio Archives on with our new Apple and Android Apps or…
