So, the Pittsburgh Lesbian is technically still on entrepreneurialistic hiatus, but the summer is winding into some weekends the missing of which would be absolutely, well, just plain sad.
Some things need to be stated up front. First of all, factor an 8:00 Steelers game into your Saturday-night planmaking. It’s against the Vikings in Minnesota so as not to obstruct driving. And this Friday night is killer, but plan to get to bed at a reasonable hour. If you’re not running the big gay romp that is the Run Around the Square, the friendly thing to do is to not tempt your sport-tastic friends with late-night festivities. In case you’ve been wondering, runner girls generally love being cheered on.
Tomorrow, VH1 gives us an excuse to rally our friends for some late-Thursday-night debauchery with the premiere of The Cho Show. The great thing about Margaret Cho is that she’s, you know, a little inconsistent. But when she’s good, she instantly alters the queer-media canon. Those moments are so not-to-be-missed that her TV show may merit the die-hard-party infrastructure inherent to lesbian TV watching. Bonus: Total license to vehemently both love and hate a show at the same time…also inherent to lesbian TV watching.
Friday is serious at the Bloomfield Bridge Tavern, as Sarah Claire appears with Rhapsodic in her final spoken-word performance in Pittsburgh. She’s brought our community such wonders as Operation Sappho and Beautiful Noise, so bring her some love as she heads out to start bringin’ it on the west coast. This show promises to be at least doubly good, as Autumn Ayers will be performing as well. And all this is just three bucks!
For those in a more raucous mood, Cattivo brings the lez-centric stand-up in-house with The Dykes of Hazard Comedy Tour. Head down and check out Slim Bloodworth, Kristen Becker, and Linda Ellis as they put Cattivo’s new stage to good use. Can you say queer performance space?
If you’re in the mood for a weekend absolutely jam-packed with comedy, you can catch Gab Bonesso at the Improv in any of six performances for which she shares the bill with Christian Finnegan.
Saturday night brings the showcase of awesomeness that is HotHouse. It’s a big-ticket event at $40, but that’s a bargain for the experience of a year’s worth of Sprout-Funded wonder.
Highlights Include:
- Selecta Spinning
- Pandemic Wreaking Havoc
- Vanessa German testifying
- Jenn Gooch Shoe Scuffing
- Joy Ike Eclecticizing
- Creative Reuse Sustaining
- Mr. McFeeley Delivering Speed-and/or Creep-ily
- And Big freaking Burrito is among the entities contributing munchies
If you’re not into shelling out the cash for HotHouse or it’s not your scene, you can catch a radtastic event of a whole other flavor at Your Inner Vagabond. Drag Kings on Tour is a free event showcasing the documentary film of the same name, plus spoken-word by the filmmaker and discussion time with local drag kings.
Get your fix of comedy and culture this weekend because a pretty ridiculous lineup lies just a week ahead, this time with a focus on music.
Thursday
The Cho Show
When: Thursday, Aug 21st – 11:00 pm
Where: Wherever there’s VH1
Friday
Rhapsodic & Autumn Ayers
When: Saturday, Aug 22nd – 9 pm
Where: Bloomfield Bridge Tavern – 4412 Liberty Avenue
Who: 21+
How Much: $3
Dykes of Hazard
When: Friday Aug 22nd – 8 pm
Where: Cattivo – 146 44th St.
Who: 21+
How Much: $10
Saturday
Run Around the Square
When: Saturday, Aug 23rd – 8 am
Where: Regent Square – Henrietta and Milton Avenues
Who: All
How Much: $19
Register Here >
HotHouse
When: Saturday, Aug 23rd – 9 pm
Where: The Union Trust Building – 501 Grant Street
Who: 21+
How Much: $40 in Advance – $50 at the Door
Buy Tickets Here >
Drag Kings on Tour
When: Saturday, Aug 23rd – 8-11pm
Where: Your Inner Vagabond – 4130 Butler Street
Who: All Ages
How Much: Free!
Multiple Dates
Gab Bonesso with Christian Finnegan
When: 6 Shows All Weekend
Where: The Pittsburgh Improv – The Stacks at the Waterfront
Who: 21+
How Much: $20
