Pennsylvania Libations Opens in the Strip District
Change in Pennsylvania is a-brewin’ … and distilling and fermenting its way onto the shelves of Pennsylvania Libations, the state’s first privately owned spirits retailer located in the Strip District. Owner Christian Simmons, along with his sister and director of operations, Faith George, are dedicated to carrying only Pennsylvania-made spirits, wines, ciders, beers and meads.…
Critics’ Picks: Hamish Anderson at Club Cafe
[BLUES] + TUE., JULY 11 The cool thing about living in a global society, other than international viral videos of dogs, is that regional music can influence people who live across the globe. Despite growing up in Australia, Hamish Anderson was deeply influenced by American blues and rock. He even has “Last Act to Open…
Pokey LaFarge gets food poisoning in Cleveland; still blows the roof off Pittsburgh’s Rex Theater
St. Louis’ Pokey LaFarge puts on great Pittsburgh show despite food poisoning
MP3 Monday: Astra Robotica
Minimalist electronic music from Astra Robotica in this week’s MP3 Monday
Furries return to Pittsburgh for Anthrocon 2017
Photo highlights from Anthrocon 2017
Protest groups look to jumpstart Pittsburgh’s once-strong anti-war movement
Protest Groups march on Pittsburgh July 1
Highlights from Wednesday night’s Pittsburgh Pirates win over the Tampa Bay Rays
A photo essay from the Pirates win over the Rays at PNC Park on Wed., June 28
Animal Tales
If you picked this issue of City Paper up a year ago, it would have been completely different. Which I guess you’d expect, since we do write new stories every week. But I’m actually talking about the title. For the past few years we’ve brought you the Pet Issue and we regaled you with stories…
Get up close and personal with this team of penguins at Pittsburgh’s National Aviary
Animal Issue Get up close and personal with this team of penguins at Pittsburgh’s National Aviary Animal Encounters at the National Aviary Pittsburgh aviation team rescues animals along the East Coast Flathead catfish are an impressive predator in Pittsburgh’s rivers The Colony Café, in the Strip District, lets patrons enjoy coffee, wine, light fare and…
Acclaimed belly-dancer Michelle Sorensen makes her Pennsylvania debut
AN EVENING OF BELLYDANCE WITH MICHELLE SORENSEN 7:30 p.m. Sat., July 1. Carnegie Stage, 25 W. Main St., Carnegie. $15. 412-592-1414 or carnegiestage.com If your image of belly-dance comes from old Hollywood movies, it’s time to update it. As with other dance forms, contemporary belly-dance is fusing tradition with modernity. Professional belly-dancers have added theatricality…
Kilchoman Machir Bay Single Malt Whisky
Asked for a scotch from Islay or Speyside, bartender Rocky Croyal put this on the bar. “It’s truly one you have to taste to describe. It’s peaty and sweet all at the same time.” Recommended by Rocky Croyal, bartender at Blend Bar Kilchoman Machir Bay Single Malt Whisky is available at Blend Bar, Downtown.
A Gathering of Sons at Pittsburgh Festival Opera
A GATHERING OF SONS continues Wed., June 28, and Thu., June 29 (Kaufmann Auditorium, Hill House, 1825 Centre Ave., Hill District) and July 1 and 8 (Falk Auditorium, Winchester Thurston School, 555 Morewood Ave., Shadyside). $20-75. 412-326-9687 or pittsburghfestivalopera.org/ There’s nothing shy or subtle about A Gathering of Sons, a new work developed and produced…
Joyride
mommy’s cheeks were glossy. her eyes were like marbles. lately they seemed as if they were threatening to roll out her head. the sky was lilac. the ground was wet with the way she was crying. maybe she was angry. veins sculpted her neck. daddy said we were going on a joyride. he even promised…
Pokey LaFarge mixes things up for the better on ‘Manic Revelations’; plays Pittsburgh July 1
Pokey LaFarge with the Hackensaw Boys 9 p.m. Sat., July 1. Rex Theater, 1602 E. Carson St., South Side. $20-25. 412-381-6811 or rextheater.net It’s hard for St. Louis-based roots artist Pokey LaFarge to talk about his songwriting process. It’s not because he’s too shy or humble to extol his own virtues. He’s just not exactly…
Animal Encounters at the National Aviary
Animal Issue Get up close and personal with this team of penguins at Pittsburgh’s National Aviary Animal Encounters at the National Aviary Pittsburgh aviation team rescues animals along the East Coast Flathead catfish are an impressive predator in Pittsburgh’s rivers The Colony Café, in the Strip District, lets patrons enjoy coffee, wine, light fare and…
Baby Driver
Baby Driver Directed by Edgar Wright Starring Ansel Elgort, Lily James, Kevin Spacey, Jon Hamm, Jamie Foxx It’s summer, and a worthwhile movie might only need fast cars, great tunes, funny gangsters and a boy meeting a girl. Take heed: Writer-director Edgar Wright’s comic actioner Baby Driver has this covered. Like his earlier films —…
Flathead catfish are an impressive predator in Pittsburgh’s rivers
Animal Issue Get up close and personal with this team of penguins at Pittsburgh’s National Aviary Animal Encounters at the National Aviary Pittsburgh aviation team rescues animals along the East Coast Flathead catfish are an impressive predator in Pittsburgh’s rivers The Colony Café, in the Strip District, lets patrons enjoy coffee, wine, light fare and…
Chicago’s No Men brings its sharp edge and driving rhythms to Pittsburgh
NO MEN, THE LOPEZ, DERIDER 9 p.m. Sat., July 1. Gooski’s, 3117 Brereton St., Polish Hill. $5. 412-681-1658 According to Chicago-based three-piece No Men, Sartre was right: Hell is other people. “You know what you did, you know how I feel,” vocalist/drummer Pursley chants over a menacing beat. “Heaven knows how much I hate you…
Pittsburgh aviation team rescues animals along the East Coast
Animal Issue Get up close and personal with this team of penguins at Pittsburgh’s National Aviary Animal Encounters at the National Aviary Pittsburgh aviation team rescues animals along the East Coast Flathead catfish are an impressive predator in Pittsburgh’s rivers The Colony Café, in the Strip District, lets patrons enjoy coffee, wine, light fare and…
This week in Pittsburgh Sports History
A look back at events that you’ve either forgotten about or never heard of in the first place. June 30, 1951 Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jerry Nuzum is acquitted of the murder of waitress Ovida Coogler. In 1948, Coogler was found dead in Las Cruces, N.M., when Nuzum was a student at New Mexico A&M,…
The Colony Café, in the Strip District, lets patrons enjoy coffee, wine, light fare and snuggling with cats
Animal Issue Get up close and personal with this team of penguins at Pittsburgh’s National Aviary Animal Encounters at the National Aviary Pittsburgh aviation team rescues animals along the East Coast Flathead catfish are an impressive predator in Pittsburgh’s rivers The Colony Café, in the Strip District, lets patrons enjoy coffee, wine, light fare and…
Pittsburgh’s Honey gears up for release of mostly sinister/slightly sweet Mock Pop
HONEY RECORD-RELEASE SHOW 9 p.m. Fri., June 30. Spirit, 242 51st St., Lawrenceville. 412-586-4441 or spiritpgh.com Some bands form through a Craigslist ad or through introductions to a friend of a friend. Others, like Honey, come together in the chaos of a high school cafeteria. Frontman Joe Praksti, bassist Pat O’Toole and drummer Evan Meindl…
Sally Wiggin: A positive relationship with animals can lead to natural balance
I cannot remember a time that I didn’t love animals. I remember, at 3 years old, my parents gave me a plastic Lone Ranger doll along with his horse, Silver. I tossed the Lone Ranger and kept Silver; my love affair with horses began and continues to this day. At age 10, I memorized all…
A mediocre division may be a huge break for the Pittsburgh Pirates
It’s that time of the year when baseball is the only game in town; the sliver on the calendar when PPG Paints Arena and Heinz Field are used only for concerts. As we approach July, the Pirates are the only major sports team to complain about. That is until Mike Tomlin makes his first mistake…
Critics’ Picks: • f i g • at Mr. Roboto
[FUNDRAISER] + THU., JUNE 29 Tonight at Mr. Roboto Project, catch an all-star lineup of local ’Burgh bands in a fundraiser for Livy’s Library, an organization that aims to give free books to children in the Pittsburgh area. The sweet, angelic voice of • f i g • lulls you into calmness as she sings…
Band Aid
Anna (Zoe Lister-Jones) and Ben (Adam Pally) seem like a fun young couple — living in a cute Los Angeles bungalow and … fighting constantly. She’s uptight, he’s a slacker — and as we witness in Band Aid’s opening scene — a complaint about unwashed dishes escalates to someone bringing the Holocaust into the squabble.…
Allegheny GoatScape offers novelty, sustainability as the herd embarks on a mission to clean up Pittsburgh
It’s a Tuesday morning in Crafton Heights. Behind a fence on Crafton Boulevard are eight goats, one man and one miniature donkey. The man, Gavin Deming, wears a blue cap adorned with the image of a goat biting down on a baseball bat. It’s Chompers, the mascot of the Double-A minor-league baseball team the Hartford…
Needle & Pin brings dozens of gins to Dormont
Americans are obsessed with whiskey. Bourbon sales are booming, whiskey bars continue to pop up across the country, and rare bottles fetch eye-popping sums. While whiskey certainly has a key place in the cocktail world, many connoisseurs would argue that aged spirits are best on their own. Needle & Pin, a new British-Indian restaurant in…
Howl Hiss & Hello
Read the full version here
Critics’ Picks: The O’Jays at Heinz Hall
[SOUL] + THU., JUNE 29 People all over the world — mainly Pittsburgh — join hands to see The O’Jays perform with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra at Heinz Hall tonight. See the classic soul and R&B group perform classic hits like “Love Train” and “Put Your Hands Together,” backed by Pittsburgh’s finest horns and strings.…
Honey-bee swarms are key to fighting population decline
Animal Issue Get up close and personal with this team of penguins at Pittsburgh’s National Aviary Animal Encounters at the National Aviary Pittsburgh aviation team rescues animals along the East Coast Flathead catfish are an impressive predator in Pittsburgh’s rivers The Colony Café, in the Strip District, lets patrons enjoy coffee, wine, light fare and…
NYC’s Wafels and Dinges makes its debut at Kennywood Amusement Park this summer
Ten years ago, Thomas DeGeest quit his job as a consultant at IBM to focus on waffles. The Belgian-born DeGeest was disappointed in what passed for “Belgian-style waffles” in this country, so he committed himself to delivering more authentic fare. In 2007, Wafels and Dinges debuted with a storefront in Manhattan (“dinges” is a vague…
Critics’ Picks: Irenka at Hambone’s
[JAZZ/POP] + SAT., JULY 1 Belgian singer Irenka moved to Nashville to work on her music, but didn’t re-emerge with a twang or rhinestone-studded Stetson. Instead, her unique and captivating mix of genres (jazz, rock, pop, electronic) and languages (French and English) make for a sound that is part Parisian lounge singer, part witch from…
Yappy hour at Pittsburgh’s dog parks
For anyone with a canine friend-beast, the neighborhood dog park can be an important social hub. Like a beloved neighborhood bar, each park offers different amenities (but make sure you bring water to keep your furry friends hydrated), and has its own distinct culture. Some Pittsburghers swear by Frick Park, while others go only to…
Pittsburgh pickleball tournament attracts more than 400 players while raising money for Parkinson Foundation
For many people, pickleball was a game that your P.E. teacher likely taught you one day in your middle-school gym class. In fact, gym class was filled with ridiculous games with names like parachute, four square, lighthouse and red rover. But unlike those games that remain in the schoolyard, pickleball is a sport that’s breaching…
Some bats show resistance to deadly white-nose syndrome
Eight years ago, white-nose syndrome, a deadly bat disorder, spread from upstate New York and claimed its first victims in Pennsylvania. DeeAnn Reeder, a Bucknell University biologist researching the problem, was worried about bats’ chances against this fast-moving fungal scourge. “If you ask me on a really pessimistic day,” Reeder told City Paper in 2009,…
Can you take roadkill home and eat it?
Animal Issue Get up close and personal with this team of penguins at Pittsburgh’s National Aviary Animal Encounters at the National Aviary Pittsburgh aviation team rescues animals along the East Coast Flathead catfish are an impressive predator in Pittsburgh’s rivers The Colony Café, in the Strip District, lets patrons enjoy coffee, wine, light fare and…
The Survivalist
Writer-director Stephen Fingleton’s lean but intense drama is set some time in the near future, after catastrophic events have destroyed civilization. Or at least that’s how it seems as we follow the morning routine of the titular survivalist (Martin McCann), a young man living in a ramshackle cabin deep in the woods. He’s constantly armed…
Critics’ Picks: BIDET at Rock Room
[D-BEAT] + WED., JULY 5 Being a femme person in the world (hellscape) we live in can be pretty damn infuriating. Our society’s ever-present rape culture encourages people (especially men) to treat us like objects. Or scream horrifying catcalls at us and then have the audacity to be pissed when we fight back, speak up…
Pittsburgh City Paper Booze Battles: The Commoner vs. Spoon
Each week, we order the same cocktail at two different bars for a friendly head-to-head battle. Go to the bars, taste both drinks and tell us what you like about each by tagging @pghcitypaper on Twitter or Instagram and using #CPBoozeBattles. If you want to be part of Booze Battles, send an email to food-and-beverage…
At Wood Street, robots draw a Martian landscape and copy the Bible
ROBOTLAB continues through Sept. 3. Wood Street Galleries, 601 Wood St., Downtown. 412-471-6505 or woodstreetgalleries.org With an exhibition spanning six months, “Bios (Bible)” and “The Big Picture,” installed at Wood Street Galleries by Germany’s Robotlab, have considerably longer running times than most shows there. The longevity is deliberate, necessary and painstakingly calculated: It’s the period…
Inside the Hall of Birds at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History
Animal Issue Get up close and personal with this team of penguins at Pittsburgh’s National Aviary Animal Encounters at the National Aviary Pittsburgh aviation team rescues animals along the East Coast Flathead catfish are an impressive predator in Pittsburgh’s rivers The Colony Café, in the Strip District, lets patrons enjoy coffee, wine, light fare and…
Short List: June 29-July 6
SPOTLIGHT: Thu., July 6 – Stage Mark Rylance is best known as a preeminent Shakespearean and screen actor, from TV’s Wolf Hall and Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies — for which he won an Oscar as Soviet spy Rudolf Abel — to Christopher Nolan’s forthcoming Dunkirk. But regarding 1892’s infamous Battle of Homestead, Rylance is…
Clean-Out-The-Fridge Quiche
Maybe it’s a millennial thing, but lately my lifestyle leans toward that of a Depression-era grandmother rather than a woman in her early 30s. Not only do I obsessively turn off lights in unoccupied rooms, but certain things appeal to me now that never did before: saving the slivers of soap that are too small…
