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Pittsburgh City Paper •

A Night at the Riverhounds: Soccer, booze, and the Steel Army

I was greeted with hot dogs, cornhole, and a Jell-O shot.So goes the pre-game tailgate from the Steel Army , the fan group of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, the city’s professional soccer team. With COVID-19 restrictions lifted right in time for summer, I headed to Station Square’s Highmark Stadium on a recent gameday to get the full experience of attending Pittsburgh’s primary “non-major” sports team.And let me tell you, you can’t get the full experience of the Hounds without the Steel Army. St
Pittsburgh City Paper •

The Batman is a weird, dark, often exhilarating trip to Gotham

I was worried about the fun., the latest take on the Dark Knight, this time bydirector Matt Reeves, was impressive, exhilarating, bleak, and interesting in its first hour, but was it too serious? Could it unlock how to have at least a little fun, to acknowledge that it was still a comic at heart, and avoid the all-too somber tone that has plagued a lot of recent DC properties?Then a man dressed as a bat and a man dressed like the Zodiac killer with too much Scotch tape had a full conversation on
Pittsburgh City Paper •

The Northman is a jaw-dropping work of madness

When describing the process of filming Robert Eggers’, Ethan Hawke told, “I’ve spent my life wondering, 'Will I ever get to be on a set that feels like? You know, like, somebody’s trying. They have the balls, and the hubris and the arrogance to say, ‘I want to make a masterpiece.'”When your stated goal is to replicate one of the most chaotic film sets of all time, you knowisn’t going to be run of the mill. And to everyone’s benefit — except possibly Focus Features, who supposedly has tried drast
Pittsburgh City Paper •

Psychedelia provides unique history of mind-altering drug research

Psychedelics are still viewed with a degree of caution by most of the American public, but that wasn’t always the case. A new documentary coming to Pittsburgh dives into the short-lived period when psychedelic drugs were taken seriously as legitimate research tools.Pat Murphy’s new film,, will screen at the Row House Cinema at 7 p.m. on Tue., April 19 for a special “Bicycle Day” screening.Murphy keepsquick. The film is only 58 minutes, but it covers a lot of ground. We quickly dive into the hist
Pittsburgh City Paper •

Tull Family Theater to premiere Pittsburgh-shot dramatic thriller Hiraeth

As Pittsburgh continues to grow as a hub for film and television production, it will also continue to grow as an epicenter for young filmmaking talent. One local filmmaker, Xayne Allen, will set out to make his mark with the debut of his latest film,, a dramatic thriller produced under Allen's company G.W.A. Productions, will premiere on Wed., May 25 at the Tull Family Theater . The film is the first feature made under G.W.A. Productions in association with 3BT Productions, the combination of G.
Pittsburgh City Paper •

B.J. Novak tackles true crime podcasts and more in overstuffed Vengeance

Ashton Kutcher embarks on a three-minute soliloquy, questioning the beginning of the universe, and what it really means to record ourselves in the first place. Inspired, the listener, a teenage country singer, gets ready to lay down her vocals. Her first line? “I finished my shift at Claire’s."

In his role as a philosophical, small-town record producer,

Welcome to Vengeance. The directorial debut from The Office alum B.J. Novak (who also wrote) is an exploration of, well, everything. It’s legi
Pittsburgh City Paper •

SCP Cadet School turns internet horror stories into Pittsburgh-shot short films

SCP-049 is best described as a humanoid entity, something resembling a person but with a body that more closely fits that of a plague doctor, complete with long robes and a beak-like face. It’s prone to bouts of speaking French and performing surgeries, and a general distaste of anyone infected with “The Pestilence” (whatever that may be).Welcome to the SCP Foundation , a collection of stories ranging from the curious to the horrific, all compiled on a popular internet forum for creative and dis
Pittsburgh City Paper •

JFilm Festival returns with powerful line-up, world premiere of Tree of Life documentary

An annual film festival celebrating Pittsburgh’s strong and vibrant Jewish community is returning for its 29th season this year, with a mix of in-person and virtual screenings. The JFilm Festival, organized through Film Pittsburgh, runs from Thu., April 28-Sun., May 8, with three showings at the AMC Waterfront in Homestead, and 15 more films screening virtually.“Every year I think the films can't get any better, but we always find new gems,” says Film Pittsburgh Executive Director Kathryn Spitz
Pittsburgh City Paper •

The 5 best light beers in Pittsburgh

Ask any brewer in Pittsburgh right now what they’re drinking, and they probably won’t say an IPA, a stout, or a sour. Instead, most of them will probably tell you about their favorite light beer (seriously, I asked them).


Lagers and pilsners, cream ales and saisons, pales and kolschs; if a brewery has something light and crushable on its menu, you have something perfect to drink for these hot summer months.


So where should you go to find the best of the best in these styles? Luckily, I’ve
Pittsburgh City Paper •

Conor Lamb in Pennsylvania Man in a Button Down

How many variations of a button down with the sleeves slightly rolled up do you need to have before your audience is officially bored?Conor Lamb recently dropped a new campaign ad (or, as we like to call it, a politician-produced short film), but first, we’re taking a look at the prequel.Lamb’s first ad for his Pa. Senate campaign, is a Lifetime movie. You have no problem with it, and you then forget it the absolute second you’re done with it. Seriously,is a declaration of fact, not a title of y
Pittsburgh City Paper •

A conversation with Trace Brewing’s Aadam Soorma

What made you first get into craft beer?


Where did the Guest Experience element come from before you came to Trace?


What separated Trace in its first year of dine-in service was being a different taproom experience than a lot of what’s in Pittsburgh. Was that always Trace’s plan?


Have you had beer-centric folks tell you they’re surprised at the brewery’s offerings, or seen people coming in for events surprised to enjoy craft beer?


You’re obviously kind of a rarity in the “non-bearded
Pittsburgh City Paper •

Best Pittsburgh beers to try in 2022, as chosen by brewers and influencers

There’s been nothing if not a surplus of great beer coming out of Pittsburgh these past few years, and 2021 was no different. As the industry continues to surge, and more places experiment, refine, and define what makes a great beer, just about everywhere you turned, a brewery was pouring something killer.With that in mind, I wanted to work through the best of the best in Pittsburgh’s craft beer scene in 2021, but I’m not the be-all, end-all. So instead, along with one of my own picks, I asked P
Pittsburgh City Paper •

Permanent Hangover gains cult following, branding illustrated beer merch to the apathetic

The Instagram comments are flooded with disappointed but loyal customers, lamenting about missing out on the chance to purchase a St. Patrick’s Day-themed pint and shot glass combo emblazoned with “Lovely Day to Piss in the Street” and “Let’s Get Fucking Shamrocked — ur boy glassy.” It’s just another day in the life of Permanent Hangover.Launched in 2017 by Pittsburgh artist Andy Godish and local bartender/craft beer veteran Cam Bosch, Permanent Hangover is a Pittsburgh company selling offbeat a
Pittsburgh City Paper •

Spencer finds the horror in having the whole world looking at you

It’s often said that so much of acting is done with the eyes, but what happens when it’s done with the shoulders? Kristen Stewart may have some ideas.As the late Princess Diana in Pablo Larrain’s gorgeous and surreal(now playing at the Harris Theater and the Tull Family Theater), Stewart is asked to do the heavy lifting in just about every scene. And despite being an actress who has been oft-criticized as one-note and wooden, here she uses her innate awkwardness and reserved nature to turn in by
Pittsburgh City Paper •

Drive My Car takes viewers on a satisfying, slow-burn ride

“You must keep working.” So Yusufe Kafuku (Hidetoshi Nishijima) is told, and tells himself, in Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s brilliant new, award-winning film. It’s one of the most common and destructive things we can convince ourselves of in the wake of grief, the notion that if we just keep going about our day, the feeling will simply fade into the banality.With his latest work — opening on Thu., Jan. 20 at the Harris Theater — Hamaguchi aims to crumble the walls between grief and work. When Kafuku’s lo
Pittsburgh City Paper •

Harris Theater brings back 35mm screenings with Memoria

Apichatpong Weerasethakul is going to make you slow down and feel something. You don’t have a choice. Early on in the Thai auteur’s latest,, screening this week in gorgeous 35mm at the Harris Theater, Jessica (Tilda Swinton) and audio engineer Hernan (Juan Pablo Errego) simply sit and listen to a piece of classical music. The camera doesn’t move, not for over three minutes, although it may have been 1, or 10, or 20. In, time stops.Callingslow is both a disservice and the understatement of the ye
Pittsburgh City Paper •

Festival brings wild beer (literally) from across the world to Pittsburgh

Craft beer festivals are a blast, but there are certain stereotypes that can follow them. Folks often associate fests with lots of incredibly heavy and high ABV beers served in cramped parking lots or taprooms. So how about a festival of wild ales and traditionally made beer, all hosted on a working farm that celebrates the nature of those beverages?

Welcome to PGH Mixed Culture, a new beer festival venture from Cinderlands Brewing and Trace Brewing. Taking place this Sat., July 30 at Freedom F
Pittsburgh City Paper •

Pittsburgh native brings red carpet film premiere to Tull Family Theater

Even as Pittsburgh’s film footprint increases, red carpet premieres aren’t exactly common in the area. That didn’t stop Sé Marie.

The South Hills native has started to make a name for herself in Hollywood, and yet, for one of her biggest moments, she had to bring it back home. She lobbied hard for her new feature, Movers Ultimate, to debut in Pittsburgh instead of Los Angeles or New York.



The film will see its red carpet premiere Sat., July 16 at Tull Family Theater in Sewickley.



Acc
Pittsburgh City Paper •

Nope wants to make you look

We can’t help ourselves. A British study found that 29% of accidents on the highway caused a slowdown in the other lane. We have to look at the horror.In Hollywood, this indescribable feeling of not being able to tear yourself away is packaged, bottled, and produced in mass quantities. It keeps the whole thing churning; putting pain on screen keeps those eyes from turning back to the road.Filmmaker Jordan Peele compels you to keep staring. his latest spectacle , is defined by its characters gazi
Pittsburgh City Paper •

New pop-up brings much-needed good beer to Downtown

For as incredible as the local beer scene has become, there is a glaring weak point in Downtown Pittsburgh. Despite the high foot traffic and active community, Downtown is entirely lacking breweries, with only a couple of beer-focused taprooms whose offerings often fall short of many other places around the city.


That’s what made Brew Gentlemen’s summer-long pop-up at the Allegheny Overlook such a welcome addition in 2021. With a combination of great beer from the longtime Braddock staple an
Pittsburgh City Paper •

16 Pittsburgh breweries join East End Brewing’s Gratitude Day celebration

The impact that East End Brewing, and its annual release of “Gratitude” barleywine, has had on the Pittsburgh craft beer scene deserves a ton of recognition, and it may be best summed up a customer email sent out by fellow brewery, Braddock’s Brew Gentlemen:“If one were to establish a Pittsburgh Beer Hall of Fame, inducting local-area beers that have achieved widespread acclaim and cultural relevance beyond our own region, then East End Brewing’s legendary Gratitude barleywine would be a foregon
Pittsburgh City Paper •

RMU cuts men’s, women’s hockey in shocking and confusing move

Robert Morris University Men’s Hockey Coach Derek Schooley’s coaching journey started from the bottom.“I came in day one with a telephone and a desk and they said ‘Go start a program,’” says Schooley.In the 17 years since, both the men’s and women’s programs at Robert Morris University have become a staple in the Pittsburgh hockey community. Not just for their success on the ice — both the men’s and women's programs boast Conference Championships in their history, with the women winning this sea
Pittsburgh City Paper •

How to enjoy Pittsburgh Pirates games even if you don't care about baseball

What to Watch out for at the Game


Over the course of the last year, if there’s been one thing we’ve learned to do, it’s cheer for the little things. So if you happened to be at PNC Park on Monday night to see the Pirates lose 14-1 to the Reds, your correct response should’ve been, “Hey, it’s still baseball."That’s right, the Buccos are back, and playing in front of fans for the first time since September 2019. They are currently operating at roughly 25%, or just under 9,000 people, with the
Pittsburgh City Paper •

Pittsburgh Japanese Film Festival returns with cinematic cats, tea tastings, and more

The Pittsburgh Japanese Film Festival, touted as one of the larger celebrations of Japanese film in the United States, has brought local audiences all kinds of films, new and old, that have otherwise been difficult to see on the big screen.However, the festival has been stymied the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But 2022 marks its return to Row House Cinema, kicking off on Fri., March 18 with a two-week run of varied and diverse films.“Given the two-year hiatus, this year’s festiva
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