Editor's Picks category, Page 180
Local noise-rock trio Mirakler steals spotlight in 3-band bill
Talk about cutting to the chase. Pittsburgh noise-rock trio Mirakler kicked off a blistering, 22-minute set Monday night at The Government Center on the North Side with a raucous take on its bonafide crowd-pleaser: the vicious “Instant Drugs.” When played live, the song erupts around its edges and borders on...
Pepper X marks the spot as South Carolina pepper expert scorches his own Guinness Book heat record
FORT MILL, S.C. — Ed Currie, the South Carolina hot pepper expert who crossbred and grew the Carolina Reaper that’s hotter than most pepper sprays police use to subdue unruly criminals, has broken his own world record with a pepper that’s three times hotter. Pepper X was publicly named the...
Pittsburgh Pop podcast: Talking regional Emmy winners, ‘The Morning Show,’ ‘Sunday Ticket’ on YouTube
In this episode of the “Pittsburgh Pop” podcast, host Tim Benz and TV Talk columnist Rob Owen discuss Pittsburgh pop culture news of the moment including local winners of the 2023 Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards that were handed out in Philadelphia Saturday night. WQED-TV garnered eight trophies. WPXI took home seven...
TV Talk: Pittsburgh-filmed ‘Handyman from Hell’ debuts on Lifetime Movie NetworkVideo
Comedian Steve Hofstetter isn’t an area native – he grew up in Queens, N.Y. – but his career as a stand-up performer brought him to Western Pennsylvania often enough that he opted to move here two-and-a-half years ago. He bought a former Stanton Heights church and turned it into the...
Eagles’ ‘Long Goodbye’ concert delivers nostalgia, classic hits for fans
Legendary American rockers the Eagles needed no introduction Sunday night as they presented “The Long Goodbye,” their final tour, at PPG Paints Arena. “Thanks for coming out on a Sunday night. It’s a beautiful time of the year in Western Pennsylvania,” said original Eagles band member Don Henley to more...
Plum’s Festival of Honor returning to support Rustic Ridge community
A festival created after a tragedy that shook the Plum community more than a decade ago is returning in the wake of another. After a six-year absence, the Plum Borough Education Association, the school district’s teachers union, is bringing back its Festival of Honor to support Rustic Ridge families affected...
Tarentum Boo Festival brings hayrides, balloon art and an obstacle course
A sidewalk chalk contest, inflatable obstacle course and caricature artist will fill Tarentum’s Riverview Memorial Park for the annual Boo Festival. Sponsored by the borough’s recreation board, the event will be from 1 to 4 p.m. Oct. 28. “It’s a wonderful event,” said Carol McPherson, a longtime volunteer. “It’s so...
What Google’s antitrust trial means for your search habits
If government regulators prevail against Google in the biggest U.S. antitrust trial in a quarter century, it’s likely to unleash drastic changes that will undermine the dominance of a search engine that defines the internet for billions of people. As the 10-week trial probing Google’s business practices nears its midway...
‘Always Sunny’ gang visits Harrisburg liquor store to promote their whiskey
“The Gang” from “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” made a stop Saturday in Harrisburg to promote their latest libation. Glenn Howerton, Charlie Day and Rob McElhenney, three members of the Always Sunny Gang, stopped at the Fine Wine & Good Spirits distributor on Jonestown Road to promote their new whiskey,...
Family inspired love of the Pitt Panthers for this ultimate fan
Pitt is definitely it for Luciana “Miss Lu” Bair. She claims to be the biggest Panthers fan, and she’s got a pretty solid case. Let’s start with the vehicle she drives. It’s a 2023 Dodge Durango with custom seating in the school’s colors of blue and gold. Her tires have...
New CEO brings lifelong love of museums, private-sector experience to bear at The Westmoreland
Silvia Filippini-Fantoni says a trio of happenstance instances ultimately brought her to The Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg. “Sometimes you have to read the signs,” said Filippini-Fantoni, a native of Italy who for the past two decades has worked with museums in Europe and the United States. She...
Rally for Israel hosted in Aspinwall parkVideo
Orly Aridor did not mince words when talking about the war in Gaza. A native of Israel who lives in Fox Chapel, Aridor called the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas unbelievable, barbaric and horrific. “What happened there needs to be condemned. That’s what I expect from the people in the...
Nicotine Dolls singer Sam Cieri discusses ‘America’s Got Talent,’ the band’s name and Indiana JonesVideo
Nicotine Dolls singer Sam Cieri appeared on “America’s Got Talent” in the summer of 2022 and made an immediate impression. Judge Sofia Vergara’s jaw literally dropped as Cieri started singing, and fellow judge Heidi Klum described his voice as “if Rod Stewart and John Mayer had a baby.” But, after...
Weekend weather could make partial eclipse tough to watch in Western Pa.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania professor Kenneth Coles had only one word to sum up the forecast for Saturday’s partial eclipse: dismal. “Clouds and rain is what they’re calling for right now,” Coles said. “But if we get a hole in the clouds — and we’re always hopeless optimists about that...
Man admits stealing ‘Wizard of Oz’ ruby slippers from museum in 2005, but details remain mystery
MINNEAPOLIS — A man charged in the museum heist of a pair of ruby slippers that Judy Garland wore in the “The Wizard of Oz” pleaded guilty Friday in a deal that could keep him out of prison due to his failing health, but only cleared up some of the...
TV Talk: George Romero leaps off comic book page in ‘Creepshow’
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen offers a viewing tip for the coming week. McCandless native Greg Nicotero loves to weave Pittsburgh homages into his “Creepshow” series, which televises its fourth season at 10 p.m. Fridays beginning Oct. 13 on AMC (episodes also stream on Shudder and AMC+). In...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Oct. 13-15
Don’t let the rainy forecast dampen your weekend plans. There are plenty of fun things to do around the Pittsburgh area. Let’s take a look at just five highlights. Night market The Allentown Night Market is from 7 to 11 p.m. on Saturday along Warrington Avenue in Allentown. There will...
Billie Jean King still globetrotting in support of investment, equity in women’s sports
NEW YORK — Billie Jean King is still globetrotting in support of more investment and equity in women’s sports. She attended the Women’s World Cup in Australia, kicked off the player draft for the new women’s professional hockey league in Toronto and is opening an office in London for a...
Tepache Mexican Kitchen & Bar opens at former Atria’s location
Tepache Mexican Kitchen & Bar in O’Hara was scheduled to open at 5 p.m. on Oct. 10, but guests started arriving hours before. “We let them in,” said Jovanny Segoviano, one of four ownership partners. “We were prepared for that. People want this.” They certainly do. By 5:30 p.m. the...
5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: Oct. 14-16
One of the biggest of the annual community festivals in the region returns this weekend in Ligonier and the Westmoreland Symphony comes back to life as it opens its 2023-24 season. All that and more is coming up this weekend. Fort Ligonier Days For the 64th year, the historic Fort...
Eras Tour on the big screen: Pittsburgh theaters prep for Taylor Swift takeover
The Taylor Swift takeover is far from done — the pop superstar is taking her reputation to the big screen, and Swifties are descending on local theaters. “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” is a film that captures the Pennsylvania native, now a global phenomenon, traveling and performing during the U.S....
Fetterman takes swipes at lawmakers, talks hoodies and health scare in ‘Late Show’ appearance
Pennsylvania U.S. Sen. John Fetterman took some swipes at his colleagues in Washington, D.C., during a Wednesday appearance on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” The interview included discussions about his health issues and the challenges facing the United States. Oh, and confirmation that he’s “a Sheetz guy.” Wearing his...
TV Talk: ‘Frasier’ revived; James Burrows on Pittsburgh-set ‘Back to You’Video
While some TV reboots exist for creative reasons, others are merely a cash grab. Paramount+’s “Frasier” sequel is primarily a cash grab, but also manages to wring some additional humor out of familiar situations and relationships even though Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) is the only returning series regular character from the...
North Huntingdon man among a dwindling number of World War II vets
Robert “Bob” Zaval of North Huntingdon, saw the horrors of war as an Army tank commander fighting in Europe during World War II. “Boy, it was tough. Your biggest thing was to stay alive,” said Zaval, who recently reflected on his long life before marking his 102nd birthday on Tuesday....
Late North Huntingdon truck racer ‘would give you the shirt off his back’
On Fridays or Saturdays, Ronnie Ruggiero would tow his 1977 Ford F-150 with him to work, at Bob Tyke’s Auto Service in Monroeville, and as soon as the day was done, he’d head off to race it. The F-150 wasn’t just any truck — it belonged to Ruggiero’s father, who...
