Oakland

installment 1 of fall break in pittsburgh
I love showing people around Pittsburgh so when my friend Jess came home to stay with me, I already had a detailed list in my mind of places which should be included in her first tour of the steel city. One of the main stops was Oakland where we made our first stop at Carnegie Mellon University. Even though it was a Wednesday night, there was a lot going on in both the student union and arts buildings. In the arts bldg, we chanced upon a student opera just in time to join the rest of the audience as they reentered the theatre after the intermission. We weren't sure about how they modernized the tale about Rome and "Queen Pompea" with gothic and punk costumes, but other than that, it was very well done. After that, we headed to the University of Pittsburgh's campus which is just a block away to see the Cathedral of Learning (which was lit up for Pittsburgh's Festival of Lights and Heinz Chapel. Last stop in Oakland, the Frick bldg which is a library/art museum/art classrooms (also part of U. Pitt). This fountain is out front and inside, right in the middle of the bldg, there's a little open-air inner garden. (Also in Oakland: dinosaurs.)

And if you're in Oakland during the day you should check out South Craig Street for cafes and cool stores like Caliban's Book Store. Also go to the Carnegie Art Museum and the Carnegie Natural History museum (which has even more dinosaurs). There's also an American Apparel in Oakland...
-Sarah

Marky Mark at Churchy Church

The show Entourage has been causing its producer--Mark Wahlberg- some distractions on Sundays. Not because of the flash of camera bulbs but because people have been approaching him in church with story lines and requests to be on the. Wahlberg’s church attendance has become a business meeting and he'd like others to leave him alone when he's worshiping.
He says, " The stuff that I did with my entourage back in the day is stuff that I'm not proud of and I'm asking forgiveness for; I don't want things brought up in church, but, if you go to church in Beverly Hills, those kind of things happen."
Wahlberg has been around for the glory of HBO and M. Night’s first “R” rated movie, back in the day he was recording as Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, earning a hit with "Good Vibrations" from the album Music for the People. Maybe fellow church-goers just want to see Marky Mark back in action, can anyone say comeback album?
-Sam

Yesterday's tomorrow

When Halloween costumes are on the brain, I find myself exploring some interesting subcultures. But aside from the myriad offerings of everything from Harajuku to grunge to goth-loli fashion, I can't help coming back to steampunk.

Steampunk is hard to put into words. The concept first grew out of the speculative fiction of the 1800's by authors such as Jules Verne and H.G. Wells - authors who wrote fantastical stories about adventurers who traveled the world in primitive submarines, steam-powered airships, and other unheard-of technologies. Today, the steampunk attitude is one that celebrates the mad scientist and the daring explorer.

Steampunk is about mechanical, intuitive technology - it runs on steam, with gears and levers and pressure gauges. Nothing needs to be plugged in. There are no circuit boards. It's complex, but simple enough for non-engineers to understand. It is novel and graceful, a fusion of technology and timeless beauty.

That's the steam side of steampunk, while the punk side is more closely related to fashion. Steampunk fashion often looks somewhat Victorian, but it incorporates funky details. We're seeing a lot of the tail end of steampunk influence on fashion trends from last season with waistcoats, newsboy hats, and corset-inspired tops. There's a wonderful focus on natural fabrics and materials, like leather and brass. This winter's fashion trends evoke an opulence harkening back to the steamy age of the late 1800s.

The influence of steampunk can be seen in films such as "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen," "The Prestige," "The Golden Compass," and most recently, "Hellboy 2." Fans of the FOX cult show "Firefly" will also recognize many steampunk elements.

A lot of steampunk is merely an issue of taste. The sleek look of modern technology must be popular, or it wouldn't sell. But for me, steampunk goes deeper than how things look. As the world feels more and more like a machine, the little human touches of artisanship become more and more valuable.

We have yet to see whether the steampunk trend has reached its peak or if it will grow in the next few years. I, for one, won't be donning a top hat or acquiring a monocle anytime soon. But in the meantime, if you're at a loss for a Halloween costume, a clever ensemble a la Steamgoth might be just the thing...

-Anna

Avalon Exchange

This past Thursday, Sarah and I took some time out of our schedules to visit Pittsburgh. We checked out our favorite vintage clothing store, Avalon Exchange, in Squirrel Hill and found plenty of gems among the racks.
I found too much and luckily had limited myself, that’s new for me, lolz. I bought a nice button down shirt and some Italian leather dress shoes that I have been wearing quite a bit recently.
Sarah of course found limitless amounts of hipster threads but of course we had to go to more than one store!
We also stopped at a Jerry's Record Store in Squirrel Hill that was absolutely epic. Rows and rows of vinyl gave me a tunnel vision that had me grabbing albums and wanting to spend the rest of my college savings.
There were plenty of deals there, but I settled on buying just one album, U2’s The Unforgettable Fire. (Yes, Bono will never lose his influence on my life)
Speaking of which, U2 is currently in the studio with a video blog giving us snippets of the boys with their partner in crime, Brian Eno. These vids can be seen on U2.com, and I’m sure youtube has got it all as well.
Eno, who is producing U2’s new album, was busy working with Coldplay…hence Viva La Vida sounding like all the work Eno has done with U2. He has worked with them on a number of their albums, and is truly innovative with sound and composition.
I’m not trying to knock Coldplay, they do what they do well, I’m just saying that Viva La Vida sounds like the love child of Sigur Ros and The Joshua Tree.
…and you thought we were talking about my new clothes...

Sam, in his new Avalon Exchange purchases.

-Sam

Java Jam, Homecoming week

This is Meghan, in a dress she made herself. She looks absolutely fabulous! I love the attention to detail (cardigan with the peter pan collar of her dress visible, the cinched waist belt, and those shoes!) and the color combination...

Pittsburgh's Festival of Lights

Pittsburgh continues to celebrate its 250th birthday this month and into the next with a glorified Festival of Lights. Pittsburgh's 250 Festival of Lights will be the largest of its kind in the United States. The illuminated tour of Pittsburgh will take you through cultural and historical districts, and will beautifully display the city's best architectural highlights. This will be accomplished with the help of internationally recognized artists. A renowned French artist will display her artistry with light at the William Penn Hotel and the Katz Plaza both in downtown Pittsburgh. This year, Oakland has been included in the Festival and the second tallest educational building in the world, the Cathedral of Learning, will be lit up by the two German artists of Casa Magica (http://www.casamagica.de/). In addition, the Festival has chosen approximately 20 churches, synagogues, and temples which will be lit in order to best showcase their architectural details and their stained glass. The Festival of Lights will run from October 10th through November 20th. Every night from 6pm to midnight the city will be lit up for viewing. Admission is free and musical bands may also be performing at certain locations. A walking map of the Festival of Lights is provided by Pittsburgh. Every Friday night, there will be music performances at Katz Plaza from 6 to 9 pm- for more information on the musicians playing each Friday, visit http://www.pittsburghcelebrates.org/music.asp. Hopefully, Sam or I will personally check it out soon and have some photos to share with you. In the meantime, get a group of friends, download the map, and enjoy the Festival of Lights yourself.
-Sarah

Music News

Actor Kevin Costner is going country. He is about to release his first album after 20 years of off-screen music making with a number of bands.
His first album, “Untold Truths” is a collection of 12 songs all written or co-written by Costner and his band, Kevin Costner and Modern West.
The band plans to tour later this year and in 2009 to support the album before his next movie “The New Daughter” comes out in March. It seems he will probably go the route of actor “slash” singer, due to his dying movie career.
Perhaps Costner should be going off to school before the big tour, like Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea who is going to study music at the University of Southern California.
Michael “Flea” Balzary, founder of Los Angeles' Silverlake Conservatory of Music, wants to add to his classical knowledge. His main goal is to learn more about the "mathematics of composition.”
Flea recently stated, "Music is made up out of these building blocks. I like studying how these blocks go together and what they consist of and the math of how it works”
Hey, someone’s gotta do it, and why not Flea? Another bandmate making a splash in the music world is Anthony Kiedis.
Over the summer, Kiedis curated the New American Music Union, a two-day summer music festival in Pittsburgh. He assembled a lineup of musicians including Bob Dylan, Gnarls Barkely, The Roots, and a second stage featuring college bands. All of this was for American Eagle Outfitters, whose headquarters are in the culturally and artistically rich community of the South Side of Pittsburgh.