A Fistful of Voters

Ballot Box-ing

Political squabbles extend right up to the polling-place door

Port Authority Cuts Shortsighted, Some Say

Once the county's Port Authority finally posted the new schedules on its Web site, there were a few surprises -- mostly unpleasant.

Homophobic material nixed from Kennywood dive show

The park's stage show, "Pirates of Kenny Cove," included a segment which one local mother found homophobic.

Sprout Fund's big ideas turn into big proposals

The Fund received 16 submissions for the five refined ideas in which the nonprofit is committed to investing a total of $100,000.

Going Through the Motions

City Council began a new exercise this week: sparring with the mayor

Jake's Beef & Bar-B-Que

The barbecued meats are cooked dry, with rubs, and the diner chooses from four regional sauces on each table: Virginia, Memphis, Kansas City and Texas.

Black Tie Revue leaves home

"We could totally pull a Thriller and have like eight singles off this album," Matt Hanzes jokes.

Race the Ghost performs at the Three Rivers Arts Festival

The band combines a DIY ethic -- proudly using its own equipment to record -- with a professionalism often lacking in the age of cheap audio software and the CD-R.

"DIY arena-rockers"

It sounds like Cheap Trick playing in your basement ... if Robin Zander were, you know, a girl.

Bloomfield legend Victor Navarro Jr. releases debut

Those who embrace outsider Americana will find new respect for this truly unique and seasoned yinzer.

Underground noise rockers Ludlow release Vol. II

From the recording's non-title to the fact that its four songs barely break a total of seven minutes, there's an extreme lack of bullshit here.

Area improvisers offer summer experimental music and video classes for the young

More people are asking the fundamental question: "How -- and why -- do you guys make those weird sounds?"

Knocked Up

Buried beneath the body-by-Budweiser, the farts and admittedly attractive nature of a self-indulged life are all the genre conventions of a chick flick.

Mr. Brooks

This suggests we're in for a very black comedy that will tweak our fascination with murder as entertainment. Wrong again.

Gracie

Gracie is as familiar as a worn pair of cleats, but its heart and girl-power message is in the right place. (Capsule review.)

Displaced from Point State Park, the Three Rivers Arts Festival retools.

The festival is still mostly free. It's also about as big -- just laid out much differently.

Three Rivers Arts Festival

Selected highlights

A local architect's new book tells how to work with members of his profession.

It's all a very rational and measured explanation of what an architect might do for you, the potential homebuilder.

This Just In: May 31 - June 6

Highlights from the local TV news.

An August Occasion

Thinking through Wilson's legacy

Pittsburgh n'@

Yinz Keep Bloggin'

No Time Like the Present

Pirates are the team of the future ... and always will be.

Savage Love

Affrilachian Poets co-founder Frank X. Walker talks about his new cultural journal, Pluck!

"People say 'Appalachia,' they don't think 'jazz.'"

FBI Girl: How I Learned to Crack My Father's Code

Subtext is a good thing in a play, but it can't be the only thing.

Bunny Bunny

There are enough laughs to go around and the expected, but comfortingly cathartic, three-hankie ending.

East meets West, and spoken word yields to sound and movement, in a new dance performance.

Bodaji, an acclaimed dancer in the very structured technique of Bharatanatyam -- an ancient dance form from the south of India -- says she was captivated by Miller's movement sense, and relished the idea of collaborating.