ACLU explains its review board letter
As the Pittsburgh Comet and other media outlets have noted, the ACLU has warned city officials that the current effort to replace members of the Citizens Police Review Board has been … well, problematic. For the most part, the ACLU’s letter covers territory already discussed here. It argues that the appointment process has been undermined…
New sheriff in town in stolen-gun legal battle
At first blush, there wouldn’t seem like much new in a Commonwealth Court ruling on Pittsburgh’s stolen gun ordinance. In a decision echoing a ruling upheld by the state Supreme Court weeks ago, a three-judge panel tossed out a challenge of the law for a lack of standing. But this decision, unlike some previous cases,…
Mayor finally keeps an appointment
I’ve received confirmation that today, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl submitted to council the names of nearly two dozen people he is nominating to various boards and commissions. So now we all have something to look forward to next week. The city clerk’s office is not yet releasing the names of the appointees, or the positions they…
City Council: the fear of fear itself
Yesterday’s Tribune-Review had a story illuminating city council’s recent hostility toward the Citizens Police Review Board. And by a strange coincidence, I had a column out the same day covering some of the same ground. Once again, in other words, I march in lockstep with the minions of Richard Mellon Scaife. There’s a reason city…
Short List: Week of June 24 – July 1
The Shadow Lounge is important enough culturally ’round here that at least three top local bands are reuniting to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Justin Strong’s iconic East Liberty venue for live music, poetry slams and more. Among the couple dozen performers who’ll shut down and liven up the Lounge’s slice of Baum Boulevard: the…
Gritty barebones productions and rocker Joe Grushecky team up on the very dark stage comedy Killer Joe.
Killer Joe, the first play by future Pulitzer-winner Tracy Letts, is a dark comedy. Quite dark. It begins with a young man named Chris recruiting his father, Ansel, for a scheme to murder his own mother — Ansel’s ex-wife. The titular contract murderer is a crooked cop; the play, set entirely in a Texas doublewide,…
Lion in the Streets
Director Grande’s takes remain seriously earnest, adding to an overall sense of a heavy, monochromatic play.
Mid-Life! The Crisis Musical
Before I describe Mid-Life! The Crisis Musical, be advised that the show sold out at South Park Theatre last weekend. Even the Sunday matinee was packed to the gills with loyal community-theater fans. Most of these people were middle-aged (or older), and if Mid-Life lacks appeal for a childless, urban, Gen Y bachelor, it seemed…
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
This powerhouse team turns in one of the funniest and freshest evenings of theater I’ve seen in a long time.
Going Solo: Guitarist Pat Metheny’s Orchestrion Project
Fusion-guitar virtuoso Pat Metheny is no stranger to unconventional repertoire … or to advances in music technology. This is the man who plays the 46-string Pikasso guitar, after all. So who better to issue Orchestrion, an album performed entirely by Metheny via a range of robotic instruments? “Orchestrion” is the name given to early-20th-century mechanical…
GuitarBot: a heavy-metal guitarist with robochops to burn
When Eric Singer designs a musical robot, his primary goal is that it sound, well, musical. Even so, the electric guitar-like sounds that emanate from the GuitarBot — his first and perhaps signature instrument — elicit gasps from audiences. “The first time you hear it, it’s a surprise,” he says. “The closest thing I could…
John Fetterman and Braddock: living by the seat of their pants (UPDATED)
According to the New York Times, Levi Strauss is set to launch a new marketing campaign — one that uses the long-struggling Mon Valley town of Braddock as a backrop. Residents of the town will be used as models. Warning: The Times article contains the word “gritty,” in accordance with journalism rules governing the coverage…
Metal Riffs
Robotics artist Eric Singer and his musical creations set up shop in Squirrel Hill
Mi Ranchito
Intriguing authentic Mexican fare helps smooth over inconsistencies
The Ultimate Wave Tahiti
There is earth, fire and water in this new IMAX feature from Stephen Low. Tahiti was formed by a volcano, and now its people dance with fire while they wait for the waves to come. But not just any wave — the perfect wave, which, according to local surfer Raimana Van Bastolaer, “will come when…
No One Knows About Persian Cats
These are cats that play jazz. Or blues, rap or metal. Iranian Bahman Ghobadi’s loose, lo-fi film is a documentary-style commentary about his homeland, tied together with the thinnest narrative. (The film was shot in a couple weeks, and without a permit.)
A young couple — Negar and Ashkan — need more musicians to fill…
Jonah Hex
Jonah Hex (Josh Brolin) is a damaged Civil War vet turned bounty-hunter, who, in this outing, is enlisted by the feds to stop a disgruntled Confederate general (John Malkovich) from blowing up Washington, D.C. It’s a rather meager tale with much of left unexplained. (Hex can speak to the dead, for instance.) When Hex isn’t…
Toy Story 3
Andy, the human protagonist of the series, is preparing to leave for college. His beloved toys, including Woody and Buzz, wind up at daycare, which proves to be a nightmare. This third outing, directed by Lee Unkrich, is available in 3-D presentations, but it should prove just as visually engaging in cheaper 2-D. A delight…
A father and son recall life on the road in a new memoir.
“Nothing made me nervous except having my name in the title.”
This Just In: June 24 – July 1
Highlights from the local TV news: How Much More Can We Bear?
The Hot Button
A look at this week’s most intriguing issues — and why you should care
Dogged by Controversy
Is a furries sex game sending mixed messages?
Shock to the System
Justice system trying to deal with Taser deaths, injuries
Andres Ortiz-Ferarri’s new label releases post-rock by Mother Sun and Discuss
The pulsating arpeggios and blissful synth patches are most reminiscent of France’s M83 and the uplifting nebulas of Sigur Rós.
Nicole Atkins and The Black Sea headline the 13th annual WYEP Summer Music Festival.
The heavy freak-folk sound fits Atkins well.
Austin’s Woven Bones bring dark, feral rock to Brillobox
The rhythms writhe with the primal intensity of a peyote-spiked pre-battle ritual, while sweltering garage-psych guitars waver and waft like a highway mirage.
Dallas “Stonegaze” band True Widow plays ModernFormations
With song titles like “Corpse Master” and “Bleeder,” True Widow plays up its noir vibe.
Savage Love
My friend is a gay-identified FTM. He’s hot, and above the waist, you would never guess what he’s got down below. We love to kiss and cuddle, and his blowjobs are great. The problem is that I have no idea how to reciprocate. He isn’t into anal (why would he be, without a prostate?), there’s…
Smashing the State
A year later, and we’re still afraid of G-20 protests
Jerry’s Curb Service
1521 Riverside Drive, Beaver 724-774-4727 www.jerryscurbservice.com It’s easy to drive through Beaver and get nostalgic for the 1950s. There’s a quaint little downtown with flags flying on light poles, and a slew of old homes that reinforce the genuine retro feel. Jerry’s Curb Service, a vintage drive-in restaurant just outside of town, certainly aims…
