(Things to do while celebrating a rodent…)
Friday, February 2
Exposure: Pittsburgh, 7:00 p.m., Club Havana, Shadyside
Marc Rettig (pictured) is this months feature photographer and this show wraps up the involvement with Club Havana. No word yet on where it’ll be moving to, but as long as they keep it at a bar, I’ll be happy. And drunk.
Marc is originally from Montana, and has lived throughout the US, coming to Pittsburgh about five years ago as a visiting professor of design at CMU. He liked it here and settled in, opening up his own business. As one of the members of the Pittsburgh flickr group, he displays his love for his adopted home through his work, sometimes visiting abandoned industrial spaces, finding beauty in the decay, art where there is ruin. His photography is done with a designer’s eye, but used as a creative outlet that has nothing to do with his work. The show promises to be a good one.
As always, there will be much drinking and dancing to the music provided by the DJs.
Saturday, February 3
Art Opening: (U=You)+(M=Me)+(O=Others), 6:00 p.m., moxie DaDA, North Side
John Eastman’s pen & ink drawings exhibit, (U=You)+(M=Me)+(O=Others) opens at the new moxie space on the North Side. The pieces are titled “UMOs”, and that means drawings of “contorted individuals from society reflecting humans as imperfect beings”.
Which, y’know, could mean that it’s a realism show, but it’s not. It’s an “Opening Reception” which usually means free stuff in the way of wine/beer and snacks. There’s nothing like that explicitly mentioned here, though, so freeloader beware.
Pittsburgh Pagan Potluck, 6:00 p.m., Moonstones, Dormont
Local Witches, Druids, Wiccans, Shamans, and the like get together and whoop it up at the Pagan Potluck. This is a chance to get to know your local pagan, and also lets the local covens network a bit. They want you to bring a dish, and sweet Lord, (I know, yeah) I hope someone makes a Stonehenge out of marzipan.
I’m not even gonna attempt to make a snarky comment lest I get, y’know, warts or something. I dunno, a plague of boils, the gyp, whatever… My mama didn’t raise no dummy, at least when it comes to dealing with witches and giving them the proper respect they deserve. Who wants the mal occhio, really? Not me, baby, not me.
Palm Saturdays feat: Humanaut, 9:00 p.m., Palm, Station Square
Get yo house on with Steve Porter. They’re very emphatic about this, so I’ll just quote: “ONLY 300 TICKETS WILL BE SOLD – PRESALE ONLY! There will be NO door tickets.”
So, he must be kind of a big deal. It’s 15 bucks, and doors open at 9.
Sunday, February 4
WYEP Alternative Souper Bowl, 12:00 p.m., Borders, Eastside ‘Sliberty
Local music for a cause. It’s at Borders, so it can’t get the “Drinking for a Cause” label, but so be it, it’s still a good idea. Bring some non-perishable food items and enjoy the fun and live music from three great local bands with plenty of time to get home to watch the commercials that go on in between plays. Seriously, the Super Bowl’s kind of a pain in the ass anymore, because it takes so friggin’ long to watch the game. Ok, so ‘Em Stillerz aren’t in it this year, which my hypertension is thankful for, but still… I can’t even relax to watch the game because of the interminable commercials and half time show. Sure, it’s Prince, I love Prince, but do you think we’re gonna get a rollicking version of “Darling Nikki”? ‘Cos I don’t. Here’s hoping the assless chaps make an appearance, if only for the absurdity of it, and the controversy it’d cause.
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Got an event planned? Would you like a whole flock of yinzers with disposable income to show up? Let Git Aht know by sending the electronic mail to gitaht@gmail.com.
Heat up the cold winter night by packing your ass into the Eagle with 100 or so of your closest, soul-loving friends. Drinks are cheap, the music’s great, the dancing’s even better, and there ain’t no cover (yes, i now it’s a double negative, which I guess could mean that there is a cover, but you need to stop being so literal and have some fun for a change, fer chrissakes…)
“Refreshments”. We all know what that means, don’t we? Although, the concept of refreshment is one of those means different things to different people things, so your particular refreshment might not be available. For instance, I think a pint of Martini is fantastic for a summer’s day, although it can make for a truly horrendous summer’s night.
You’d think a taste of Ireland would involve whatever it is they do to the Blarney Stone at night after the tourists leave, but no. In this case, it’s all about the beer. Well, for me it is. Guinness all night, live music, and a stunning lack of potatoes. Consider this a warm-up for St. Patrick’s Day… Training camp, if you will. And you will, let’s not kid ourselves.
Rude, crude, and socially unacceptable. But enough about me, let’s talk about Lisa. Known in some circles as the “female Don Rickles”, Lisa’s act delivers the strength at most of the celebrity roasts you’ve seen in the past few years. Sample from the Shatner roast: “Betty White is so old, that on her first game show ever, the grand prize was fire.” That’s the cleanest pull I could get, the rest of her act is raunchy, filthy, dirty, and many other things Bill Cosby would disapprove of. But it’s also hilarious, and well worth checking out. She’s one of the best stand-ups working today, and she’s made the move to the big rooms like the Byham. Sooner or later, she’s going to get a sitcom, because that’s what always happens, so take a look now, and be able to say “I saw her act before she sold out and ended up on KDKA Mondays at 8:30.”
“When Gregor Samsa woke up one morning from unsettling dreams, he found himself changed in his bed into a monstrous vermin. His girlfriend then crushed him with a kleenex and flushed him. The End. (Roll Credits)”
He probably won’t be there, but still…
This month’s theme is “Classic Hitchcock”, and Pittsburgh Filmmakers brings us the 1935 tale of mistaken identity, spies, and a “cool blonde”. They say the “banter in this mystery/romance set the style for sophisticated comedies for years” and I have no choice but to believe them because how the hell do I know? I mean, I haven’t seen it because I don’t know if it has any karate in it, and karate is the hallmark of a good movie. Except for that friggin’ Chuck Norris thing with Joe Piscopo and that kid from Sealab or whatever it was. That thing stunk on ice.
Ok, the holidays are over, and yeah, you drank and ate as much as I did. Don’t lie… You look in the mirror and you’re like “who brought Marlon Brando back from the dead and let him into my house?” So take the free class from the Three Rivers Rowing Association and learn one of the absolute best aerobic exercises around. The only pre-requisite needed is that you be “Willing to learn and have a good time”, which is, oddly enough, exactly the pre-requisite a 32-year-old woman had for me when I dated her at the age of 21. Sure she was a cradle-robber, but a lot of fun, especially when she made me repeat things until I got them right. There’s something to be said for that method of education, because I’ve never used the wrong fork at dinner since. I mean, my fork game is ridiculous.
This is a one-man play focusing on the story of the legendary Art Rooney, Sr. portrayed by local actor Tom Adkins. It’s co-written by Rob Zellers and Gene Collier, the latter being possibly the best local writer we have, and certainly the most entertaining every time he pecks out a column for the PG. The Chief may be making its last run, so this would be a good choice for your Saturday night.
The weekend’s “Family” event, I’m posting it because I always loved Seuss. I always got this sort of subversive vibe from his books, even when I was a kid. it’s the same reason I preferred Bugs Bunny over, say Mickey Mouse. Also, a lot of you might have the “Cat in The Hat” hat from your rave days, and it’d probably be ok to wear it to the show, as long as you a.) remove it once the performance starts and b.) take the E out of the stash pocket before you leave the house.