Listen Up! Nov. 2
Every Wednesday, we make a Spotify playlist containing tracks from artists mentioned in the current music section. Give it a listen below:
Green Party’s Pittsburgh rally pushes a third choice for president
A crowd of 100 gathered in East Liberty in support of Green Party candidate Jill Stein
A conversation with this week’s Pittsburgh City Paper cover artist Nathan Mazur
It’s hard to look through Nathan Mazur’s portfolio without smiling. This local artist’s website is full of lovable creatures he’s designed for CD covers, T-shirts and posters. He’s also skilled at giving life to inanimate objects, putting happy faces on objects like flowers and foods — you can check out a cartoon waffle dancing in…
A Pittsburgh City Paper conversation with Loreena McKennitt
Loreena McKennitt will perform live Sat. Nov. 5 at The Byham Theater
Pittsburgh immigrant-rights advocates ramp up support for Martin Esquivel-Hernandez
After federal prosecutors reject a local undocumented immigrant’s request to drop charges, advocates write to the U.S. Attorney to argue otherwise.
Stefan Babcock of PUP on chameleons, soup dumplings and never taking a break, ever
“Dating us is really hard, dating anyone in PUP is hard. “
Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania LGBT-rights leaders wary of Trump presidency’s potential impact on state
Statewide and Pittsburgh LGBT-rights leaders criticize Donald Trump’s and Mike Pence’s history and stances on LGBT issues, fearing they will negatively impact LGBT Pennsylvanians.
A photo essay of Pittsburgh’s Bricolage Production Co.’s Halloween performance of ‘Midnight Radio: Night of the Living Dead N’at’
Bricolage Production Co.’s Midnight Radio: Night of the Living Dead N’at blends a 1968 movie with 1940s radio techniques.
The 1975 bring a vibrant sci-fi Halloween party to Stage AE
“This is normally the part of the show where I say ‘fuck Donald Trump.’ But tonight’s all about Star Wars.”
‘Pretty Little Liars’ author and Pittsburgh resident holds launch party for new series tomorrow
“Pretty Little Liars” author Sara Shepard visits the Penguin Bookshop tomorrow for a launch party for “The Amateurs.”
MP3 Monday: Empty Beings
This week’s MP3 comes from post-punk band Empty Beings. The five-piece released Confront the Living back in September; It’s full of dark riffs and sinister guitar tones, and probably wouldn’t sound out of place on your Halloween playlist, assuming your Halloween playlist includes a lot of ’80s goth and new wave. Stream or download “Culture Shock,”…
Pittsburgh City Paper staffers share their Halloween costumes of the past
Pittsburgh City Paper staffers share their Halloween costumes of the past
Bryan Cranston to visit Pittsburgh; tickets on sale Monday
“Breaking Bad” actor to discuss his new memoir
Phat Man Dee, Liz Berlin hold Social Justice Disco show on Monday
Show includes debut of original single and launch of Indiegogo campaign for the album
Showcase for Pittsburgh-area filmmakers begins eighth season on WQED tomorrow
Program features four short films
Lynn Cullen Live 10/28/16
Video Archive You can listen to the audio archive here. Oregon insurrectionists are acquitted. Pittsburgh water lead levels? John Kane, Pittsburgh artist. Audio Only Archive Listen to the Audio Archives on with our new Apple and Android Apps or the computer audio player.
LGBTQ+ Pittsburghers ‘spill the T’ with black elected officials
Pittsburgh-area black elected officials hear from LGBTQ+ people of color.
Sports Illustrated writer S.L. Price paints a beautiful, painful portrait of Aliquippa and its football program in Playing Through the Whistle
S.L. PRICE 6 p.m., Thu., Nov. 3. Carnegie Library Lecture Hall, 4400 Forbes Ave, Oakland. Free. pittsburghlectures.org/ You don’t have to be native to Western Pennsylvania to have heard about Aliquippa football. Author S.L. Price isn’t from here, but as a senior writer for Sports Illustrated he knew about the small, decaying former milltown that…
A look back at our Halloween/Election hybrid covers through the years
This week’s Scooby Doo “Trump Is Satan?!” cover isn’t our first Election Guide/Halloween hybrid. Take a look … “He lives, he tweets, he walks among us.” In 2013, local artist Rhonda Libbey illustrated Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl as our take on Frankstein’s monster: RAVENSTEIN. We hired Rhonda again for our Election Guide in 2014 to…
An herbalist returns home to talk about Appalachian remedies
Herbalist Heather Irvine has a passion for helping people with plants. She runs two clinical practices, consulting with patients about health issues and using her 15 years of experience to help them. Originally from the tri-state region, Heather has a deep knowledge of its plants and their uses.
Listen Up! Oct. 27
Every week we bring you a Spotify playlist featuring songs from bands and artists featured in the current music section (and yeah, ok, usually we do this on Wednesday, but nobody’s perfect!) Take a listen below.
Lynn Cullen Live 10/27/16
Video Archive You can listen to the audio archive here. Nemr Abou Nassar, the most popular comedian in Lebanon on the show today. Audio Only Archive Listen to the Audio Archives on with our new Apple and Android Apps or the computer audio player.
Could a Democrat with progressive ideas finally be the candidate to oust Republican Daryl Metcalfe?
There’s a phrase to describe public servants like Butler County Republican state Rep. Daryl Metcalfe. No, not jackass, although that’s a good guess; I was thinking of “unfortunately unbeatable.” He’s a far-right, uber-conservative Republican from Cranberry, and he’s been in the same seat since 1999. He’s also one of the most divisive legislators in Harrisburg,…
Running with the Devil
Lies! So, when it comes to liars, there’s no one better than Lucifer. If there’s one thing we’ve learned it’s that Donald Trump doesn’t let the truth get in the way of making a point. Some of his biggest untruths include implying that all Mexicans coming across the border are criminals. He says the election…
Discourse in the Pennsylvania Senate race has suffered under the weight of the presidential election
On Oct. 12 at the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge One in Beechview, a campaign spokesperson for Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey addressed the waiting group of reporters. “OK, the senator is going to talk about police issues for about 30 minutes, and then you can all ask him questions that have nothing to do…
Pitt’s 46th Annual Jazz Seminar and Concert offers a diverse lineup, including trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire
PITT JAZZ SEMINAR AND CONCERT Mon., Oct. 31- Sat., Nov. 5. Various times and locations. Free. Complete schedule at music.pitt.edu/jazz-sem Since Geri Allen became director of Jazz Studies at the University of Pittsburgh, in 2013, the school’s annual Jazz Seminar and Concert has included a few wild cards in the lineup. Last year, saxophonist Pharoah…
King Cobra
Justin Kelly’s docudramedy King Cobra has been ripped from the headlines — albeit some yellowing ones from 2007 — and offers quite the buffet of titillating subjects: gay porn, underage porn actors, assorted sex workers, money, betrayal, murder and arson. Plus, it all happened in cozy small-town America, a.k.a. Luzerne County, in northeast Pennsylvania. Sean…
Married couple among the leads in Pittsburgh Ballet’s Giselle
PITTSBURGH BALLET THEATRE PERFORMS GISELLE Fri., Oct. 28-Sun., Oct., 30. Benedum Center, 719 Liberty Ave., Downtown. $28-108. 412-456-6666 or pbt.org It is perhaps fitting that the first ballet that Christopher Budzynski and Alexandra Kochis danced together — over a decade ago, at Boston Ballet — will also be the last that retiring Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre…
Critics’ Picks, Oct. 27-Nov. 2
[HIP HOP] + FRI., OCT. 28 Local hip-hop collective #PirateGang is taking over The Smiling Moose for the Overboard Halloween Party. PirateGang is an acronym for “People Inspiring Real Aspirations To Experience Greatness Approaching Newer Generations,” and its mission is to celebrate and create art in the 412. In addition to vendors and raffles, the…
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back Directed by Edward Zwick Stars Tom Cruise, Cobie Smulders, Danika Yarosh Jack Reacher: Never Go Back is a case study for scrapping the formulaic actioner whose chief attraction is a big star portraying some extra-awesome ass-kicker. This genre dates back three decades now, and while it once offered entertaining popcorn-munching,…
New Releases
DANVERS RELEASE SHOW. 7 p.m. Sat., Oct. 29. Black Forge Coffee House, 1206 Arlington Ave., Allentown. $5. All ages. 412-291-8994 or blackforgecoffee.com Danvers Jazz Standards (Self-released) danverspa.bandcamp.com Your enjoyment of this record will depend almost completely on your tolerance for pop punk, but if you’ve ever had affection for bands like Saves the Day, Jazz…
Pittsburgh City Paper Booze Battles: Harris Grill vs. Carmella’s Plates & Pints
Each week, we order the same cocktail at two different bars for a friendly head-to-head battle. Go to the bars, taste them both and tell us what you like about each by tagging @pghcitypaper on Twitter or Instagram and using #CPBoozeBattles. If you want to be a part of Booze Battles, send an email to…
Hines Ward puts his stamp on Table 86 in Seven Fields, north of Pittsburgh
Hines Ward’s Table 86 530 Northpointe Circle, Seven Fields. 724-741-0860 Hours: Mon.-Sun. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Prices: Soups, salads, appetizers, burger and sandwiches $5-12; pastas and entrees $12-35 Liquor: Full bar These days, it’s not enough to be a celebrity; people famous for their prowess on the silver screen or athletic field wish to broaden their…
Author Irina Reyn on The Imperial Wife and the immigrant experience
What is the immigrant experience? What does it feel like to leave behind one’s culture, forsake common language, shared foods and familiar traditions? What is the process of learning and adapting to a new set of norms and expectations? How does that complicated experience shape an individual? Such questions are sparked by The Imperial Wife…
Award-Winning Bread Pudding
As told by Jay Poliziani, director of North Side Common Ministries “The North Side Food Pantry is the largest community food pantry from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia, and we serve between 850 and 1,000 households every month. Each year, we hold an annual event called the Food Pantry Brunch Challenge to raise awareness about limited food…
A conversation with novelist Alice Hoffman
ALICE HOFFMAN 7 p.m. Tue., Nov. 1. Carnegie Library Lecture Hall, 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland. $10. 412-622-8866 or pittsburghlectures.org In Alice Hoffman books, magic is a given. Angels walk amongst us, desires dictate weather, and love is so life-altering it literally breaks hearts. The everyday is imbued with an otherworldly weight, and even the smallest,…
Paul Dolan Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2011
“I love super tannic wines. This one is new to the bar. Most of our regulars who like cabernet have switched over to it. It’s a little fuller and rounder than some cabs, and fruit-forward.” — Recommended by Olivia Applegate, bartender Andys Wine Bar Paul Dolan Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 is available by the glass…
A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Little Lake Theatre Co.
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM continues through Nov. 5. Little Lake Theatre, 500 Lakeside Drive South, Canonsburg. $13.75-21.75. 724-745-6300 or littlelake.org On a cool autumn evening it can be fun to luxuriate in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Little Lake Theatre Co. Artistic director Jena Oberg directs an ambitious production of Shakespeare’s frothy fantasy that often,…
Maggie’s Farm releases a falernum, a logical companion for its rum
Never one to rest on its laurels, the award-winning Maggie’s Farm Rum Distillery has a new product or two in the works. Will Groves, brand ambassador and self-described lime-squeezer, says that by the end of the year, the distillery plans to release its new falernum. Falernum is a lime, ginger and clove liqueur that originated…
Pennsylvania U.S. Senate
Both candidates are millionaires, but took different paths: Toomey, a Republican, as a Wall Street financier and McGinty, a Democrat, as a board member of energy companies. Their race is the most expensive U.S. Senate race in the country and could decide which party controls the Senate. A flurry of ads has made it almost…
Alex Blinn’s Gourmade delivers fresh, chef-cooked meals to lunchtime office crowd
We’ve all had busy days at work where leaving the office for lunch is out of the question. You can get deli sandwiches delivered, or scrounge a meal from vending-machine snacks. Alex Blinn believes it doesn’t have to be that way. Blinn’s new company, Gourmade, delivers fresh, chef-created meals to office buildings in the Pittsburgh…
Carrie: The Musical at Split Stage Productions
CARRIE: THE MUSICAL continues through Sat., Oct. 29. Split Stage at Apple Hill Playhouse, 275 Manor Road, Delmont. $15-19.99. splitstage.com Split Stage Productions is a newish Greensburg-based theater group, and while that’s geographically outside of my usual beat, I wasn’t going to miss its production of Carrie: The Musical. Based on Stephen King’s novel, this…
The Mulder and Scully of Beaver County
Read the full version here
Pennsylvania Attorney General
After the scandals surrounding former AG Kathleen Kane and other state officials (specifically in the mass dissemination of pornographic and misogynistic emails by state officials and employees), ethics are a key talking point in this race. Democratic nominee Josh Shapiro has pledged to implement mandatory ethics training and increase spending transparency. Republican John Rafferty says…
This Just In: A look at local news online and on the tube.
Ken Rice Wants a Weed Whacker! KDKA anchors Susan Koeppen and Ken Rice flex their acting muscles in a skit to promote a story about online “ad trackers.” Rice: “OK, so I’m scrolling through Facebook, right? And it’s giving me all of these ads. For products that I’m already interested in. Like, IT KNOWS WHAT…
Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District
Incumbent Republican Keith Rothfus faces off for the second time against Democrat Erin McClelland. Rothfus has a fundraising edge, with nearly $1.5 million compared to McClelland’s $196,739. Polling has McClelland as a long shot to win, and Rothfus calls her a “symbol of [the] failed liberal status quo.” McClelland has criticized Rothfus for a number…
Weird Pitttsburgh: A cop caught napping and a crook caught collecting
The Downtown Business Council of Chambersburg is under fire for its decision to disinvite a loud, black, patriotically themed semi-trailer truck to its Christmas parade. The vehicle, owned by Chuck Timbrook of Williamsport, Md., is named Black Out and is decorated with POW/MIA symbols and modified black-and-white American flags. It apparently got a lot of…
Scott Hunter’s paintings keep score on love
I LOVE YOU THIS MUCH continues through Nov. 12. The Artsmiths of Pittsburgh, 1635 McFarland Road, Mount Lebanon. 412-341-2299 or artsmithspgh.com Following his spring show of abstracts, Kinesics, Scott Hunter’s exhibit of figurative paintings I Love You This Much, at The Artsmiths of Pittsburgh, examines the varied metrics of love. Hunter’s statement, at the entryway…
Need a new NFL head coach? Mike Wysocki suggests taking a drive through Western Pa.
Recently, the University of Pittsburgh revealed that it had found a cure for the Zika virus in mice, which might lead to a cure for humans in the near future. Does Pitt have to cure everything? It’d be nice to see someone else step up and help out. I’m looking at you, Eastern Kentucky. But…
With a new concerto, former R.E.M. bassist bridges the gap between rock and classical
MIKE MILLS’ CONCERTO FOR VIOLIN, ROCK BAND AND STRING ORCHESTRA 7:30 p.m. Fri., Nov. 4. Byham Theater, 101 Sixth St., Downtown. $35-70. 412-456-6666 or trustarts.org Mike Mills is best known as the bassist in R.E.M.; he was a founding member and remained with the band until its 2011 breakup. Since then, he’s been a key…
Savage Love
I love my wife, but I have a lot of resentment, disappointment and insecurity over our sex life. After four years of marriage, huge angst remains that I have yet to get a handle on. Right now, with kids and our busy lives, she’s content with sex once a week or so, and I need…
For GWAR, touring is an exercise in managed chaos
GWAR, DARKEST HOUR, MUTOID MAN 8 p.m. Fri., Oct. 28. Mr. Smalls Theatre, 400 Lincoln Ave., Millvale. $20-22. 412-821-4447 or mrsmalls.com To watch the costumed members of GWAR stalk the stage amid sprays of goo and gore, adorned in ghastly regalia, it’s easy to get the impression that utter chaos holds sway. In reality, it’s…
Short List: Oct. 26 – Nov. 2
The global refugee crisis, which affects more than 65 million people, can seem outside the realm of local concern or understanding. The Forced From Home tour seeks to correct that. Presented by Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), this interactive 10,000-square-foot exhibition will set up in Schenley Plaza, in Oakland, to be experienced daily from…
Lynn Cullen Live 10/26/16
Video Archive You can listen to the audio archive here. Trump is a sad, sad man. Newt Gingrich implodes on the Kelly File. Robot overlords and weaponry. Audio Only Archive Listen to the Audio Archives on with our new Apple and Android Apps or the computer audio player.
Lynn Cullen Live 10/25/16
Video Archive You can listen to the audio archive here. The World Series starts tonight. RIP Bobby V. Obama after the White House. Trump T.V. Trump is getting rebranded. Audio Only Archive Listen to the Audio Archives on with our new Apple and Android Apps or the computer audio player.
Lynn Cullen Live 10/24/16
Video Archive You can listen to the audio archive here. Election time…almost. RIP Tom Hayden. Audio Only Archive Listen to the Audio Archives on with our new Apple and Android Apps or the computer audio player.
Best Local Radio Personality
www.wxdx.com Being loud and occasionally obnoxious isn’t usually a recipe for success, but WXDX’s Mark Madden has turned that combo into a winning talk-radio formula. His no-nonsense conversations with listeners, even when he’s hitting them with verbal roundhouses, have made him a favorite. Other Finalists 2nd: Mikey and Big Bob, KISS FM 3rd: Randy Baumann,…
