Jonathan Franzen Talks Writing at Monday Night Lectures
Last night, writer Jonathan Franzen visited Carnegie Music Hall to present a nearly packed house with a “craft talk.” That was how Franzen described his appearance at Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures’ Monday Night Lectures. The acclaimed author of The Twenty-Seventh City (1987), The Corrections (2001) and Freedom (2009) is also a dedicated bird-watcher who didn’t…
CMJ preview: Pittsburgh artists (and a few others) playing the festival this week
One of the year’s most notable music festivals takes place this week in New York City. It’s the CMJ 2011 Music Marathon and Film Festival, which features music performances, movie film premieres, and media panels at various locations throughout the city. Headquartered at New York University’s Greenwich Village campus, CMJ hosts thousands of fans, industry…
MP3 Monday: Lucid Music
Howdy! This week’s MP3 Monday features a track from Lucid Music, the local hip-hop trio. The new single, “All Day All Night,” features some sweet old-school soul samples and breakbeats. Download it here and enjoy! *Download Link Expired”
Occupy Pittsburgh and other activists come calling at Toomey’s office
Participants in the Occupy Pittsburgh movement ventured out from their Mellon Green encampment and to protest outside Sen. Pat Toomey’s office today, demanding he “[s]top working for Wall Street and start working for us.” The Occupy campers joined One Pittsburgh and its offshoot action, the People’s Lobby, in front of Toomey’s Station Square office building…
Whose eats? OUR eats! Keeping Occupy Pittsburgh fed
This weekend, Occupy Pittsburgh’s annexation of Mellon Green drew the attention of local media and curious residents alike. But while all eyes were focused Downtown, a critical part of the occupation was taking place more than two-and-a-half miles away — in Josh Stitzer’s Lawrenceville kitchen. The kitchen itself is nothing special to look at. Except…
Occupy Pittsburgh: Day 2
Protesters at the Occupy Pittsburgh camp site awoke this morning somewhat weary from a rough night’s sleep, but in good spirits about the success of their first overnight occupation — and the generosity of the movement’s supporters. Despite chilly temperatures and howling winds — “The ground was a little hard, and it was a little…
Occupy Pittsburgh’s vigil begins
Mel Barrett took off his muddy boots, lit a cigarette and plopped onto his blue tarp. At the corner of his home for the night in Mellon Green was a white posterboard with black lettering: American Dream My Ass. The poster, Barrett says, is pretty representative of his life experience so far. He grew up…
Pittsburgh occupiers settle in
Protestors at the Occupy Pittsburgh encampment are hunkering down after a long day of marching and rallying. As of 7:30 p.m., about 100 folks were milling around on Mellon Green, and we counted about 30 tents/encampment sites made of tarps and cardboard boxes. While more than a dozen police vehicles were parked along Ross Street…
Occupy Pittsburgh: Day 1
It seems almost impossible, given the series of excruciating deliberations over the past two weeks. But Day 1 of Occupy Pittsburgh seems to be going off almost without a hitch. And police confirm that unless that changes somehow, the occupation of Mellon Green, a privately-owned parklet along Grant Street, can continue indefinitely. Today’s proceedings…
The Occupy Pittsburgh march/rally in pictures
We’ll have more of these in our print edition — and more details on today’s Occupy Pittsburgh action right here throughout the weekend. But here’s an early look at the march and rally. The scene at Freedom Corner: The march begins: Marchers entering Downtown: A sampling of signs: Demonstrators at One Mellon Center: Guy Fawkes,…
Occupy Pittsburgh: Watch this space
As you’ve no doubt heard, today marks the beginning of the Occupy Pittsburgh protest. Starting with a permitted march at 11 a.m. this morning, and continuing throughout the weekend, we’ll be providing coverage here and through our Twitter account, @PGHCityPaper. And as you’re waiting for news of the festivities, why not take a few minutes…
Kelly-Strayhorn Launches New Program for Artists and Small Arts Groups
Pittsburgh’s small arts groups perennially enrich the cultural landscape — and perpetually struggle to make ends meet and produce work that’s as good as they’re capable of. CenterStage, a new initiative of the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater in partnership with the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, aims to address the problem. CenterStage launches Mon., Oct. 17, with the…
What did Mellon do to deserve an occupation? Quite a bit, maybe
When protesters announced their plans to occupy a parklet next door to the Pittsburgh headquarters of Bank of New York Mellon, you could almost hear the forehead-clutching from the upper floors: “What did we do to deserve this?” True, when it comes to fucking up the entire global economy, Mellon is not in the same…
Let the fear-mongering begin! Downtown braces for Occupy Pittsburgh (UPDATED)
Occupy Pittsburgh is still a day away … but already building owners are being warned to batten down the hatches. Pittsburgh’s Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security has issued a Threat Assessment to property owners and public-safety officials. Among its fears: that protesters may try to steal building-security uniforms and “prob[e] … security response…
Occupy Pittsburgh: The ball is in Mellon’s court
As we noted earlier today, the most contentious part of Occupy Pittsburgh’s demonstration — which will begin Saturday — may be its choice of occupation site. Protesters have selected Mellon Green — a Grant Street parklet located conveniently near One Mellon Center, and the US Steel/UPMC building — as the site for their encampment. As…
Graphic Novelist, Honey and Mead at Bee-Themed Toonseum Event
Jay Hosler’s acclaimed graphic novel Clan Apis follows honeybee protagonist Nyuki on her journey through metamorphosis. Both writer and illustrator, Hosler conveys similarities between human and honeybee behavior in format accessible to child audiences. “It’s a balance between science and illustration,” says Hosler, who visits the Toonseum Saturday evening. Hosler, a professor of neurobiology at…
Occupy Pittsburgh news flash: Consensus process actually produces consensus
As noted here yesterday, plans for the Occupy Pittsburgh action are coming along, and were further cemented at a “General Assembly” meeting at the First Unitarian Church in Shadyside. Last night’s meeting attracted about 150 to 200 people — fewer than at the first meeting, but roughly the same as attended a session on Sunday.…
Man Man’s Honus Honus talks the Life Fantastic
The eclectic Philadelphia-based band Man Man released its fourth full-length, Life Fantastic, earlier this year on ANTI- Records. CP spoke with songwriter and frontman Honus Honus (a.k.a. Ryan Kattner), who also does double duty with the supergroup Mister Heavenly, along with Nicholas Thornburn of Islands, Joe Plummer of Modest Mouse and sometimes actor Michael Cera.…
Allies return after three years with Wire Walk
It’s been more than three years since Allies released an album. What took so long for the longtime local band’s Wire Walk to materialize? Well, for one thing, there was recording the record, losing the whole thing to a computer snafu and recording the record again. “We had the whole thing recorded. The computer crashed.…
Short List: October 13 – 20
Thu., Oct. 13 — Composting The U.S. Postal Service is struggling, but compostal services are as effective as ever — still the best way to make decay work for you. At a Backyard Composting Workshop, learn how to turn leaves, grass clippings, food scraps and more into rich soil while keeping them out of landfills.…
Involuntary Commitment
A poem by Nancy Krzton
Corbett Steps on the Gas
So far, drilling companies have been extracting natural gas from Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale formation without paying taxes on it. Gov. Tom Corbett has, finally, proposed an “impact fee” to compensate governments for the disruptions caused by drilling. The fee would max out at $160,000 per well … even if the well generates tens of millions…
Savage Love
I’m a college freshman. I thought that college would be the place to come out, but I’m still unable to admit my sexuality to my friends, teammates and classmates. I have thought about joining the LGBT organizations, but those guys are too “out” for me. Not that there’s any problem with that. I just don’t…
The Blue Dust bar offers its own liquor infusions
It all started with the horseradish vodka Jerry Miller was offered in a Washington, D.C., bar. “I knew it would go good in a Bloody Mary,” he recalls. And as the owner of Homestead’s Blue Dust bar, Miller got another idea from the concoction: Begin handcrafting his own liquor infusions for use in cocktails. Horseradish…
Sand Presso Coffee and Sandwich Bar
After eating the best egg salad I’ve ever eaten in my life at Sand Presso Coffee and Sandwich Bar, David Kim is mum on exactly what makes it so tasty. “That’s our magic sauce,” he says with a smile. Likewise, he’s little help on why my vanilla latte seems deliciously better. The co-owner of the…
Mediterrano
In France, it’s called a brasserie, in Italy, a trattoria. In Greece, this kind of restaurant — relaxed, yet refined, serving traditional hot meals with fresh local ingredients — is called an estiatorio. Strangely, this type of Greek restaurant has long been conspicuously absent from the local dining scene, despite its winning combination of homestyle cooking and…
On the Record with PCTV Executive Director John Patterson
For the past 25 years, Pittsburgh Community Television has been giving city residents and nonprofits low-cost training in media production — and has ensured the public has a voice on cable TV. The North Side-based organization will celebrate its 25th anniversary on Oct. 20 (see Short List on page 41). Among the highlights of its…
Pre-Occupied Pittsburgh: A fledgling movement gets off to an uncertain start
If this was a typical alt-weekly newspaper story about a protest movement, we’d be telling you all about the upcoming “Occupy Pittsburgh” protest slated for Sat., Oct. 15. We’d let you know the wheres and whys and hows — all that stuff — while interviewing organizers about their tactics and goals. This is not, however,…
Critics’ Picks: October 15 – 19
[PUNK] + SAT., OCT. 15 Over the past few years of Screaming Females’ existence, not a whole lot has changed about the band’s sound — and that’s OK, because not that many others sound like them. The ragtag trio from New Jersey is a showcase for Marisa Paternoster’s almost-growling vocals and shredding guitar skills; her…
On the Record with Ben Opie
In May 2008, local saxophonist and educator Ben Opie collaborated with Anthony Braxton, the renowned contrabass saxophonist and composer, on a series of Pittsburgh concerts and recordings. Ensemble (Pittsburgh) 2008, a live recording from that weekend, is being released as an LP on SSS Records. Did you set out intending to make these recordings…
DJ James Gyre and DJ Cucitroa bring a new global dance night to Shadow Lounge
When you see a flier for a global dance night, you’re typically going to be bombarded by a large list of musical styles, attempting to tell you what sounds to expect. The barrage will include weird foreign words like “Gnawa” and “Kuduro,” often unpronounceable and requiring some research to understand. World music in a globalized,…
Trespass
Stop me if you’ve seen this film before: A wealthy man and wife defend themselves against less-affluent home invaders, but is everything as straightforward as that? Perhaps in the right hands, this perennial one-room drama might have some spark, but director Joel Schumacher turns in a clunky, shrill outing with predictable twists. Nicolas Cage is…
Machine Gun Preacher
Marc Forster’s docudrama recounts the life of Somerset County’s Sam Childers, a reformed bad-boy biker who re-directs his energies toward saving Sudan’s orphaned children. He builds an orphanage with money raised from preaching, and defends it with skills learned from an earlier life of crime. It’s a story that unfolds over more than a decade,…
Footloose
On its release, I found 1984’s Footloose perplexing — you can outlaw dancing? — but this remake from Craig Brewer will really challenge what you know of the world and how kids (and adults) act in 2011. Suffice it to say, there is still a town in these here United States where dancing among high…
Higher Ground
Life is a mystery without a solution: The fear, loss and loneliness we experience from time to time, or even, so tragically for some, during much of our allotted time, is real. But for the characters in Higher Ground, the solution may not be. In her debut as a director, the actor Vera Farmiga (Up…
The Pittsburgh International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival
Time to get spruced up for the Pittsburgh International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, beginning Fri., Oct. 14, and running through Oct. 23. Now in its 26th year, the festival offers 16 feature-length films, four programs of shorts, and opening- and closing-night parties. The opening-night event includes two films, both adaptations of popular novels, with…
Dance work GIMP asks “What are you lookin’ at?”
For many disabled individuals, more crippling than their own physical limitations are the constant reminders that they are different, as conveyed by the reactions of the non-disabled. In choreographer Heidi Latsky’s GIMP, such reactions are brought into focus and turned back on the world in an effort to shed light on what it is like…
The Good Person of Setzuan
Bertolt Brecht’s plays inevitably remain challenges to theater companies and to audiences. But then, Brecht wanted to challenge everyone. Although he aimed for satire, he called upon directors and performers to produce and interpret his material freely. Deliberately breaking down the fourth wall, he sought to provoke the public to self-reflect, to be critical of…
Shaken & Stirred
The title is a multi-layered pun. “Shaken” and/or “stirred” are standard directions for the making of cocktails, but they also describe the characters in this revised production of Virginia Wall Gruenert’s drama, which premiered at Off the Wall Theater in 2007. And, of course, the one-act, told in a series of flashbacks, aims to shake…
Electra
In 2006, Pittsburgh Public Theater knocked my socks off with Ted Pappas’ direction of Oedipus the King. The propulsion of the story, along with the single-minded focus of the production, really made the evening memorable. So I was eagerly anticipating Pappas returning to Greek drama with Electra. It starts out well, with James Noone’s powerful…
Novelist Jonathan Franzen lectures; TNY Presents continues under new management; activist Vince Eirene releases a book.
In his 2001 book The Corrections, National Book Award recipient Jonathan Franzen demonstrated a writing style that garnered attention for its incisive exploration of American social traditions. Known for taking excruciating pauses between published works — his latest novel, Freedom, was nine years in the making — Franzen’s obsessive technique lends unique perspective to the…
Acclaimed poet Toi Derricotte closes the book on her harrowing childhood with The Undertaker’s Daughter.
“You walked in your body like a living man. / But you were not,” wrote Toi Derricotte in “Poem for My Father,” part of her 1989 collection Captivity. Two decades later, with her fifth collection, The Undertaker’s Daughter (University of Pittsburgh Press), the acclaimed poet closes the book on her childhood. The 91-page book, part…
Occupy Pittsburgh plans coming together
OK, so some developments to share with you regarding the Oct. 15 “Occupy Pittsburgh” movement. A march and rally has been planned that will involve a tour of Pittsburgh corporate headquarters, and an afternoon rally at Point State Park. Here are details, fresh from an Occupy Pittsburgh release: On Saturday, October 15, 2011, Occupy Pittsburgh…
