Beautiful – the Carole King Musical this weekend in Pittsburgh

This weekend only, the Cultural Trust will present the Carole King musical. You should go. Fri, Mar 18 – Sun, Mar 20, 2022 Beautiful – The Carole King Musical tells the inspiring true story of King’s remarkable rise to stardom, from being part of a hit songwriting team with her husband Gerry Goffin, to her relationship […]

Guest Post: Ukrainian Kokum Scarf and Indigenous People

Kokum Grandmother Scarrf

First published on Facebook by Lenora “Lee” DingusNod-doh-wa-ge-no (Seneca) Artist of Echoes of the Four Directions This Is a kokum scarf or grandmother scarf. Kokum means grandmother in Cree. Today It’s a piece of cloth used in powwows by jingle dancers “as a method of prayer while dancing with pow-wow dresses, It was all so […]

Review: ‘Pretty Woman the Musical’ from the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

Read here for more information on COVID-19 protocols at the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Last Tuesday, my musical loving friend, Sarah P, and I ventured to the Benedum to see “Pretty Woman” the musical. Based upon the 1990’s movie, it is a Cinderella fairy tale of sorts for the modern age. The show began with an […]

Chimerica: Post-Production Thoughts

Under the category of ‘better late than never’ – I’m finally writing about my experience watching Quantum Theatre production of Chimerica. It was my first Quantum Theater production. I don’t know why that is the case. But it felt fitting that Chimerica was my first show and my first live theater performance since the the […]

Q&A with Industrial Artist and Musician Josiah

One of the perks of blogging for 16 years is being able to share a little more deeply the content I reference on my social media channels. I decided to make my first post of 2022 about my family. This is my nibling/nephew, Josiah. He is 14, close to 15. He’s always had an affinity […]

The Origins of the Christmas Tree and Pittsburgh’s Flaming Tree Festival of the Magi

Christmas trees

Google “history of the Christmas tree” and you’ll find everything from little snips about Queen Victoria to pagan/indigenous culture appropriation to lots of photos of the evolution of American tree decor. It is a fun and interesting way to explore culture. My favorite bit is the ongoing battle between Estonia and Latvia. I came across […]

Holiday Pops are Beloved Pittsburgh Seasonal Institution

Every year, my wife and our friend Sarah look forward to the Holiday Pops performances at Heinz Hall. They just love it so much. I can’t wait until times are better and I can return to see Heinz Hall decorated for the holidays. There are four remaining holiday pops performances this weekend with tickets starting […]

Review: The Donna Summer Musical Brings Nostalgia, Joy, and Empowering Music to The Benedum

Donna Summer Musical Review

Go see the show—if you’re like me, it will leave you nostalgic, teary-eyed and joyous all at one. On Tuesday night, November 16, 2021, my friend, Sara P and I went to see “Summer, The Donna Summer Musical.” It was the first time that I had been to a musical, and the Benedum, since March […]

The End of the Road for the Cat Car

Honda CRV Pittsburgh

Remember the Cat Car? It was painted to promote the AMPLIFY project, but quickly dubbed ‘The Cat Car’ – the original artists were Kai Devenitch, Sam Thorpe, and Jason Sauer. The following year, Kai and Jason updated the paint job. This 2000 Honda CRV was a beauty – a cassette deck, for example. I bought […]

What We Get Wrong About “Independence Day”

Martina McBride

Some folks whispered and some folks talked But everybody looked the other way And when time ran out there was no one about On Independence Day. Each year, I listen to Martina McBride’s song ‘Independence Day’ to honor the Fourth of July. There are some good lyrics and wordplay fusing our national independence themes with […]