BOLD Pittsburgh 11 Issue 13
From the Editor: Hello BOLD readers! Welcome to our 13th issue! The past year and a half has been great and we are really excited to share this issue with you. You may or may not have noticed that I did not contribute articles to our last two issues. This was for good – awesome, even – reasons; I exhibited my first solo art show! It was a lot of work but it went really well and I am really happy I did it. (Enter shameful plug: go to beckartco.com/Amanda-cooney to buy some prints! 25% of sales donated to wildlife charities!) If you are like me – and it seems like a lot of people are – your daily 9 to 5 job isn’t really what you set out to do when you graduated from high school. When went to college, I thought for sure that after four years I would find a job in my field: art. Well, as you can imagine, there aren’t too many high paying artist jobs out there, but luckily I chose business as a minor and fell back on that. Fortunately, the lack of art jobs did not stop me from continuing to express myself through visual mediums and when I was asked to create a body of work to display in my hometown, I jumped at the chance. It may sound cheesy and cliché, but I would like to encourage you all to follow your dreams because we only get one chance – YOLO as the hip kids say. If you wanted to be a musician when you were a kid, pick up an instrument and start taking lessons; you’re never too old to learn something new. Did you want to climb Mt. Everest? Start rock climbing – more power to you! (Although did you know there is a human waste issue on Mt. Everest because of all the climbers? Maybe don’t go there, but hey, it’s your dream.) It’s sad to say, but 2015 is more than half way over and the days go by quicker than you think. Now is your time to get out there and do what you want to do. Here are some more clichés: Don’t stop believin’; keep on truckin’; get your head in the game; the sky is the limit; you can do it! Thanks for reading! Amanda Cooney
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BOLD Pittsburgh Contributors
Amanda Narcisi Chief Editor Layout Designer @alnarcisi
Renee Fisher Writer
Amanda Cooney Co-Editor Writer @spots87
Tim LaVoie Writer @LaVoiePGH BOLD Pittsburgh
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Issue 13 Contents
6-Bike The Burgh 10-That’s So Pittsburgh 14-Market Square Farmers Market 15-Bill’s Bar and Burger 21-Planes Mistaken for Stars 4
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26-Music Review 28-Aloe Vera 29-Summer Swim 30-Step Up 31-Dear Snarky
City
Bike the Burgh • Thats So Pittsburgh BOLD Pittsburgh
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Lately in Pittsburgh, bikes are making since. I needed to change that, and now is the perfect time and Pittsburgh is the perfect a comeback. With the restoration of so place to start riding again. many trails and the inclusion of I decided that if I wanted bike lanes in the ‘Burgh, more to start riding again, I and more people are gowould need some kind ing from four wheels to of purpose and directwo. I, for one, used to tion, not just biking ride my bike everyaround randomly where when I was and trying to figa kid. I remember ure it out on my getting on it evown. I also wantery day to go to ed to learn more school or to the about the city; I pool in the sumhave lived here mer; we were for a few years, attached at the but I still don’t seat. My favorknow too many ite part of riding things about some was when I got to a areas. I decided to hill and no cars were search for a tour comaround, I would take pany that fit both these my hands off the handleneeds. bars, raised my arms, and feel Bike the Burgh Tours is a the wind as I glided down to the new business that is owned and operated bottom! Eventually, I got older and when I received my driver’s license, my buddy was put by Val Scholar. Val hails from Germany where in the shed to rust and I have not gotten on one she, and many others across Europe, used bikes
as their main means of transportation. “All major cities in Europe and US cities like Portland, San Francisco, Washington and New York City have guided city bike tours already, and now it’s Pittsburgh’s time.” Feeling that Pittsburgh was lacking diverse bike tours around the city, she formed Bike the Burgh Tours and started offering services at the beginning of this summer season. Val moved to Pittsburgh about a year ago and instantly fell in love with the Steel City. Utilizing her Master’s degree in arts and architecture, she focuses her tours around the rich history that Pittsburgh holds. We tend to overlook things that we see each day, however, there are so many magnificent structures within our downtown and North Shore areas that go unnoticed. Bike the Burgh tours help you to stop and take in the beauty of our city and provide you some insight into the reasoning behind how and why things are the way they are. I met up with Val at the corner of Ross St. and First Ave. downtown on a Sunday afternoon for the Cultural and Industrial Tour of Downtown and the North Shore. While waiting for the rest of the tour-goers to arrive, I expressed my newfound love of biking and shared my concerns about on-street travel. She explained to me some rules of the road and ensured that if we stick together, there wouldn’t be any issues. Also because there isn’t very much traffic downtown on Sundays, cars shouldn’t bother us while we are touring. 8
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When everyone arrived Val gave us the run-down: the tour will last about two to twoand-a-half hours; we will be travelling mainly on trails and in bike lanes; and if there were any questions, feel free to ask! We started off looking at different buildings in the financial district and learned a little about the history of the uses, owners, and architects. We stopped at the corner of Fifth and Grant where Val pointed out some other facts, including that the foot bridge that connects the courthouse to the old jail was designed to look like the most famous bridge in Venice, Italy: the Bridge of Sighs. From there we travelled to the cultural district, the strip district, to the old Heinz plant, along the Allegheny River, then across to Point State Park, and finally ended the tour in Market Square stopping in each area to get learn about the past and present uses of the area. At the end of the tour I asked Val about the other tours she offers. Right now she offers
two other tours: Bridges of Pittsburgh and History, Architecture and Street Art in Downtown and South Side. She hopes to get a few more tours together, including treks through Oakland, Shadyside, and East Liberty and even one called the “Andy Tour� that focuses on the influences of Andrew Carnegie and Andy Warhol. She also offers private tours! Booking a tour is easy: just go to BikeTheBurgh.com, select your tour and date, then pay. Most tours are about 2.5 hours are about $19 per rider on Thursday through Sunday. If you own a bike, feel free to bring it, otherwise, bikes can be rented through the Healthy Ride stands around the city and through the Golden Triangle Bike Rental Company. For more information, visit BikeTheBurgh.com, follow Bike the Burgh on Facebook and Twitter. Happy riding!
By: Amanda Cooney
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s ’ t a h T SO
h g r u b s t Pit Old Yinzer folklore told that the belts were used as a marker if there was ever a bomb dropped on the golden triangle. That the farther out you were the safer you were from the effects. Well, not true dear old friends: The Belt System was created to help aid drivers from congested highways. So if you got on any of the beltways you would end up at your destination in a circualr way. Confusing right? Keep in mind it was created in the 1940’s. Sent to us from SD via Facebook.
Have you ever seen something and thought to yourself “that is SO Pittsburgh!” If so, share your story with us – parking chairs, knitted pierogies, that guy dahn the street who is a real jagoff – you name it! Send your photos and stories to BOLDPittsburgh@gmail.com. You could be featured in the next issue of BOLD Pittsburgh! 10 BOLD Pittsburgh
Eats
Market Square Farmers Market • Bill’s Bar and Burger BOLD Pittsburgh 11
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August 7th and 8th 24 hour Gamathon to support Youth Arts. Sign up at chachiplays.com
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Downtown is it’s very own little neighborhood with apartments and condos, restaurants, convenience stores, coffee shops and now even it’s own market! The Downtown Pittsburgh Partnership does just that for the summer. Every Thursday Market Square is transformed into a farmers market like the one in surrounding communities. There are white tents filled with fresh fruit and veggies, baked goods, olive oil, and wine. I happened to walk through shortly after lunch time and the square was still packed with people shopping and carrying bags of food back to their homes and offices. With over thirty vendors to choose from some of them include Aunt Carol’s Homemade Dips, Family Farms Creamery, Little Athen’s Catering, Morning Dew Orchards, and The Olive Tap. You could find everything you need to make a complete meal. Check out Market Square on Thursdays and for a complete list of vendors and other information on Downtown Pittsburgh Partnership website.
Market Square Farmers Market • Market Square • Thursday’s all day 14 BOLD Pittsburgh
By: Amanda Narcisi BOLD Pittsburgh 15
The Big City Burger Bill’s Bar and Burger Brings Big City Taste to Pittsburgh
The hamburger has become an art form here in Pittsburgh and Bill’s Bar and Burger set the standards high. I knew this when I took the first bite of my Bacon and Farmhouse Cheddar Burger; this was a different and better burger. If you have ever been to the Westin in downtown Pittsburgh you know that it was home to the Original Fish Market since forever. In April that all changed. Bills Bar and Burger brought it’s New York flair and added it’s Yinzer twist to create a fun, relaxed, and artsy atmosphere. Bill’s originated in New York City in 2009 and has 3 locations there and one in Atlantic City. When you enter the building from Liberty Ave you enter into the bar area that ends in a sushi bar. (I told you it was different, A SUSHI BAR…) In the bar area is scattered tables and a few high tops. Through the opening straight ahead is the main seating area with bench seating for a larger group and then booths along both wall and tables placed along the way. If you travelled further towards the back you were faced with a forty seat private dining area. Overall the dining area seats
two hundred and fifty. There is artwork on the wall and it will be rotating to highlight local artists. The entire Pittsburgh menu for Bill’s is locally sourced which is unheard of for a non-local chain. However, it didn’t start that way. At first some of the items were locally sourced to add a Pittsburgh feel to the restaurant. The ground beef was sent in from Pat LaFreida Wholesale Meat in NYC, but they quickly realized that in order to provide the freshest ground meat possible the trip from NYC was taking too long. So the head chefs, managers, and owners sat in the Pittsburgh location and sampled 12 local meat wholesalers whose burgers were made into 12 different burgers. That is 144 burgers. After this massive burger feast they found one and their whole menu became locally sourced. This local menu was first apparent my first bite of my appetizer: Potato Pierogies. If you could guess where in Pittsburgh they came from you are right: McKees Rocks. They were sweet and crispy topped with sour cream and presented lovely. Also during appetizers I indulged in the mac
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and cheese. What is a Pittsburgh Restaurant without Mac & Cheese? This was served in a skillet with bacon and jalapenos. It was spicy but a perfect saltiness with the bacon; I can see how it was a top seller. Did I mention the SUSHI BAR? Well I had some of that too; The Pittsburgh Roll and Rainbow sushi to be precise. Sushi is an acquired taste and something that isn’t easy to prepare, but Chef Matt Lieu from the Original Fish Market has joined Bill’s and made the Sushi bar amazing. Everything was fresh and so wonderfully presented. It wouldn’t be Bill’s Bar and Burger without trying a few burgers. The Mini-B’s were first on the
list as one of the most popular burger on the menu. The burgers are three mini sliders prepared medium to lock in the flavor and are loosely packed so that they melt. The Mini-B’s are topped with sauteed onions. I devoured a Bacon and Farmhouse Cheddar Burger; it was perfection in burger form. The burger meat is sweet; paired with the salt of the bacon and a smoky cheddar made this burger amazing. I didn’t even mention that it came on a pretzel bun. Five Star burger. One of the most popular burger they have is the Fat Cat. On an English Muffin is caramelized on-
ion, cheddar cheese and burger. Despite it’s name of a Fat Cat it is the smallest burger on the menu. What would be a great burger without Fries on the side? NOTHING. Bill’s french fries are hand cut and crisped to perfection. I was fooled. I had the Truffle Parmesan fries and I swore they were fried in something special. I protested thinking duck fat or some special oil that was a Bill’s secret. Nope, Canola Oil... But the Truffle oil that they were tossed with added a special taste to them. One of the things Bill’s is known for is there milkshakes. Boozy or not their milkshakes are made the old fashioned way. Two of the most popular milkshakes on the menu are The Campfire is a S’mores flavored milkshake and the Girl Scout Cookie which is made with Thin Mints and part of the sales of them go to the Girl Scouts. I had to indulge in another Pittsburgh exclusive and got the Dark Chocolate Klondike Bar Smash with warm caramel and hot fudge, whipped cream,
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toasted peanuts, brandied cherries. This was a dessert lover’s dream come true. Delicious. If you are also a Pittsburgh pickle fan Bill’s has Frickles and Peppers made from Pittsburgh Pickle Company which is a fried dill pickles and banana peppers with ranch dressing on the side. I am not a pickle fan but I tried a banana pepper. It was crispy and the breading was perfect. Starting in June, Bill’s Bar and Burger started to offer take out in order to drive lunch business to those who can’t get out of the office for more than 15 minutes. Bill’s Bar and Burger is a great addition to downtown where a great burger joint is lacking. Stop in for lunch, dinner or happy hour. It is a great bite to eat.
Have an eatery you would like to be featured in BOLD Pittsburgh? Drop us an email @ BoldPittsburgh@gmail.com
Live
Music • Aloe Vera • Summer Swim • Step Up • Snark 20 BOLD Pittsburgh
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In Peoria, Illinois, in 1997, the seminal post-hardcore band Planes Mistaken For Stars formed. By 1999, having relocated to Denver, Planes already carried the reputation of an artistic amalgamation of punk, melodic, metal-tinged rock, and daring, progressive experimentalism. Planes somehow sounded like Motorhead covering At the DriveIn. The band split amicably in 2007, with a legacy as ultimate road warriors and criminally underappreciated sonic visionaries in tact. Though never breaking into the mainstream, it became accepted wisdom in certain circles that Planes laid much of the blueprint for the the melodic, yet gritty, rebellious sound many heavy bands display today. After reuniting for a spattering of festival dates in the early 2010s, the band could feel a slow tectonic shift beneath them, as Planes Mistaken For Stars’ back catalog was becoming newly heard, and newly loved. It was time to come back for good. Regarding the initial break-up, and why it makes sense now to reunite in earnest, singer/guitarist Gared O’Donnell explained, “Nobody was at each other’s throat [in 2007]. We just could not do it any more. In the time that we’ve had apart we all got some shit out of the way and had some major life changes. Once we got over the initial shock of not doing this full time, I was kind of a child about it. But now I’ll just take what I can get and not worry about everything else.” This spring Deathwish Inc. announced it would remaster and re-release Plane’s beloved, and definitive record; 2006’s Mercy. Rereleased on July 14, Deathwish is finally 22 BOLD Pittsburgh
giving Mercy the wide promotion it always merited. But more importantly, with its remastering, Mercy’s chthonic glory can now be heard with a new crystalline intensity. On July 16, Planes stopped at Howler’s in Bloomfield for the second date of their first true tour in nearly a decade. Following an intense, impassioned opening set by local metal band, edhochuli, Planes took on - and took over - a primed Thursday night crowd. The band sounded sharp, and displayed the physical energy and passion of a band born anew, united in purpose. O’Donnell flailed around the stage, hammering away at his battered, chipped Gibson SG. Asked how it feels this time around, O’Donnell acknowledged, “It’s yet to be seen. We’re just kinda getting started up again. It’s kind of difficult because half of us are in Denver and half of us are in Illinois, but we’ve been working really hard on getting our shit together. I think that this time around it’ll be more of a studied chaos.” Having previously stat-
ed he struggled with being defined by the band - being “Gared from Planes” not just “Gared” O’Donnell now uses all that time off to gain perspective. “It doesn’t really matter anymore. I’ve had 7 years now to look at it from a distance and really assess what we did. Whether that’s how I identify myself, or whether it’s just being able to hear those songs from a different perspective and now to understand what they really mean. I think we’re going into this a little bit more muscular musically and emotionally. I still feel young, but I don’t feel like a kid.” Regarding expectations for the tour, Gared laughed, admitting, “It’s definitely going to be an older crowd - we’re all getting a bit older, and a lot of people that cared then still care now. But I think the real difference is we’re not going to kill ourselves any more. Instead of doing 100 shows a year, we’ll do maybe 30.” (As highlighted by the man standing next to your author smoking a corncob pipe through the opening bands; it was an older, more studied crowd). Discussing why Deathwish and the band selected Mercy for the reissue treatment, O’Donnell explained, “That record was our last, and it came out on a label that folded, so it just didn’t ever really get the push or recognition we thought it deserved, and Deathwish thought the same thing. So, we’re gonna do it right this time. I think for a lot of people it will be like a new record, because a lot of people never really got to hear it or knew how to find it.” Comparing the remastered version to the 2006 release, O’Donnell proudly noted, “It’s really opened up a lot of stuff. I can hear a lot of guitar nuances that I forgot were there. It’s a lot clearer, it’s a lot thicker.”
Though the Mercy reissue sounds like a new record, and the band’s promoting it as such, they are not playing it in its entirety as part of the setlist on this tour. “I don’t think we’ll play the whole album. We’ll look at all of the songs we have. We’ll look at the whole catalog and see what feels organic, see what feels muscular and just put together the best, most honest set that we can. Some of the shows we’ve done in the more recent past just felt like a reunion, and we were kinda pandering a bit more to the crowd - playing older stuff we knew people wanted to hear but didn’t necessarily make sense for us personally. So this tour, we’re doing it from the standpoint that we are an active band. We don’t need to jump through any hoops.” On July 16, cuts from Mercy formed the emotional backbone of the set - as Planes pummelled through stand-outs “Keep Your Teeth”, “To Spit a Sparrow”, and “Little Death.” Though truly an active band, Planes will never be able to escape the label of artistic forebearers given them based on the genre boundaries pushed during the band’s initial run. Challenged about
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a couple interviews for this tour and in the last one the guy asked me about the same quote. It’s weird to wax about ourselves, but I will say if there had been this much interest and this many people that cared back then, and as loudly as they seem to care now, we might not have broken up. That being said, I don’t regret stopping - because we really needed to. And now we really want to do this. Towards the end before it seemed like we were aiming to be more career musicians. Now, I think everybody realises we can all still play music, in other places, but when we get to be Planes, it’s really special.” bridging that gap between the legacy output and any Planes Mistaken For Stars are back, and if new material, O’Donnell doesn’t feel the pressure. “I things fall into place, it sounds like they could be back try not to think about it. I don’t put much merit into for good. The band displayed their commitment live, the reviews or the band’s reputation, because I don’t as the two new songs played at Howler’s were the want it to inform how I write now. I don’t want it to set’s heaviest, and most ambitious. “It’s open ended inform how I view the band. It’s just part of my life’s - which is exciting. The goal is, we’re aiming to be in blood. It’s part of my existence and a catharsis still. the studio in December with new stuff, and probably Whatever comes out of the band, comes out - the next spring start touring again.” How new songs will most important thing is if we’re happy with our art. fare side by side to the now revered back catalog “reWe never put too much thought into how it would be mains to be seen.” Laughing, O’Donnell added, “We’ll perceived other than, ‘how do we perceive it? Does it just put it out there and people might not get it like feel honest to play? does it feel good to play?’ I don’t the first time around and we’ll have to wait another want to get up there and play songs that don’t feel seven years for people to wrap their heads around good for me to play because then I’d be phoning it it. Who knows? We’re just a rock band.” in.” Going away for such a long stretch of time and coming back in a mediascape that didn’t exist ten years ago obviously presents challenges. Yet, Gared emphatically trusts fans to pick up where they left off, claiming, “In some sense our story is their story too. That’s why I don’t tell people exactly what songs are about because I never want to stop someone from identifying with them on their own level. If it touches them, or helps them grow, or teach, or learn, that’s what makes us happy. Listening to those records again, and getting ready for the tour and do these songs again, it hit me - ‘holy shit, these songs are our story.’ And it’s honest, so honesty for us has never been hard. I think our fans appreciate that.” During Planes’ first run, it became clear the band would not get its due in its lifetime. In a particularly honest 2007 interview with the AV Club, O’Donnell admitted, “The band will be better dead than alive.” Asked about the irony of that statement now that the band is back, and if it proved to be true, or if it’s just annoying to be asked about an 8-year old quote, the effusive singer laughed it off. “No, no, it’s not annoying. It’s strange though. I’ve only done By: Tim LaVoie 24 BOLD Pittsburgh
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Music Reviews Elder Lore Armageddon Shop! We seem to live in a something of a golden age for doomy, Black Sabbath-inspired, psychedelic metal. Pallbearer elevated the genre to new heights with last year’s A+, 10/10 record, Foundations of Burden. Other acts like Windhand, Dopethrone, and Bell Witch continue to release one superlative album after the other. With Lore, Boston’s Elder perfect its punishing, slow-motion sludge of druggy haze, and add intricate, Mastodon-sized riffs. Singer/guitarist Nicholas DiSalvo sounds more like Ozzy as each the record’s five titanic songs play out, leading to the colossal closing track, “Spirit at Aphelion.” Stand out tracks: “Lore”, “Spirit at Aphelion” Grade: A-
Sorority Noise Joy, Departed Topshelf Records Sorority Noise’s pop and punk injected indie rock conjures up warm memories of late-era Pavement and early-era Weezer. Hell, if Weezer released this record after Pinkerton, rather than its doomed output of the 2000s, they might still be your favorite band. The taught, teeming ten tracks that make Joy, Departed all deserve repeated listens as we sink into the sticky, yard party days of summer. But it’s not all retro for Sorority Noise, as they make the sound their own by adding tastefully restrained strings to supplement the more dramatic moments of the record. Roll the car windows down and crank “Using” a few times in a row – we’ll all be the better for it. Stand out tracks: “Florescent Black”, “Using”, “Art School Wannabe” Grade: B+
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By: Tim LaVoie Rhett Miller The Traveler ATO Records Alt-country vet Rhett Miller is usually heard in his role as band leader for genre survivors the Old 97’s. But, over the years Miller quietly released five solo albums, and became a force in the Texas scene in his own right. His sixth solo record, The Traveler, bottles the fiddle-heavy sound developed by the likes of the Jayhawks and Whiskeytown. It’s a comfortable record that’s easy to like, but difficult to love, as Miller himself acknowledged that his solo records are his songs the rest of the 97’s rejected for full-band treatment. Unfortunately for Miller, this isn’t even the best country album named The Traveler released this spring – that honor goes to Chris Stapleton’s stirring solo debut. Stand out tracks: “Most in the Summertime”, “Escape Velocity”, “Wicked Things” Grade: B Vince Staples Summertime ’06 Def Jam Recordings California rapper Vince Staples wowed ears from coast to coast with last year’s Hell Can Wait EP. Despite being only 7 tracks and 24 minutes, Hell Can Wait landed on nearly every best of 2014 list – including this publication’s. On Summertime ’06, his debut full-length, Staples unleashes 20 tracks across two discs of throbbing, socially conscious, and absolutely vital hiphop. Leaving the West Coast G-funk sound in his dust, the instrumentation shifts from bassheavy, Dead Prez-like haze on tracks like “Norf Norf” and “Senorita”, to Lord Willin’-era Clipse, bells-and-bucket percussion on tracks like “Lemme Know” and “Jump of the Roof.” Concerning hip-hop, 2015 will likely go down as Kendrick Lamar’s year, but this summer should be all Vince’s. A clear album of the year contender, Summertime ’06 and its poetic tales of urban decay – and hope – is an essential listen for a post-Freddie Gray American soundscape. Stand out tracks: “Loca”, “Norf Norf”, “Surf”, “Lemme Know” Grade: A BOLD Pittsburgh 27
Aloe Vera By: Renee Fisher
After getting a little too much sun, your skin feels hot to the touch and extremely dried out. Preventing sunburn in the first place is ideal, but turning down an impromptu walk by the river because you don’t have sunscreen in your purse is no way to live. (Of course, you should wear sunscreen every day no matter what your plan, but I digress...) When you get home at the end of the day and realize you’re looking a little too pink, slather on this DIY face mask to cool yourself down and moisturize your ailing skin. All you need are these simple grocery store ingredients: aloe vera gel, plain yogurt, and honey. Aloe vera has been used or centuries for medicinal purposes and has moisturizing and anti-inflammatory properties that make it popular all over the world for treating sunburn. Yogurt contains zinc, lac-
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tic acid, calcium, and vitamin B which all work together for hydrating, anti-aging, and healing characteristics. Honey is also moisturizing and naturally anti-bacterial, plus its gooey texture will keep the face mask in one place. Heat up your honey in the microwave for a few seconds so it’s easier to work with, and measure out one tablespoon into a bowl. Add two tablespoons of yogurt, two tablespoons of aloe vera gel, and mix together well. Rub a generous portion onto your face and chill out for about 15 minutes. Rinse off with cool water, pat dry, and finish with your regular face moisturizer. You can put your excess face mask in the fridge and reuse it for the next few days until it’s gone. Stay cool, Pittsburgh!
Summer Swim Has anyone else ever felt like going swimming but dreaded putting on a bikini? Maybe you’re just not in the mood show off your entire body, maybe you want to wear something that actually gives you the support up top you need, or maybe you don’t want to expose your entire epidermis to UV rays. Whatever it is, there is a solution. Try these alternative swim suit styles the next time want to hang out waterside without the stress. One pieces aren’t just for Olympic swimmers and little kids. They can be just as sexy as a bikini, but they give you the freedom of diving in the pool or splashing in the waves without worrying about your top and bottoms coming off. Modcloth. com has a variety of one pieces that will fit both your body and your sense of style. One pieces with cut-
By: Renee Fisher outs, cool graphic designs, and retro polka dots will all give your friends’ bikinis a run for their money. For a pretty, classic look, try out a swim dress. They come in modern as well as retro styles and are extremely flattering if you’re selfconscious about your mid-section. Board shirts and shorts another great option for staying covered up. One of the worst places to get sunburn is your shoulders, because your bra straps dig into the burn the next day. Short and long sleeved board shirts give you extra coverage and a cute, sporty look. Plus, board shorts are great because you don’t have to stress about your bikini line! You can still be bold without the bikini. Share your favorite swimwear with us at facebook.com/BOLDpittsburgh!
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Walking Simply walking up stairs has numerous health benefits. You lift your body vertically every time you take a step, which burns about twice as many calories as walking on a flat surface and engages nearly your whole lower body. Walking stairs tones muscles while giving you a cardio workout, as well. We suggest mapping out an urban hike around the city that goes up and down as many staircases as possible. Bring a friend and a bottle of water to have a great workout and a great catch-up sesh.
STEP UP By: Renee Fisher
The only infrastructure that gives Pittsburgh bridges a run for their money in quantity is Pittsburgh steps. The city of Pittsburgh is home to right around 700 outdoor staircases, which basically makes Pittsburgh a workout jungle gym for yinzers who want to get their legs, abs, and butt into shape. So put on your sneakers, find the staircase nearest you, and try these step-centric workouts.
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Running Running stairs has the same benefits of walking them but amped up threefold. If your morning jog has gotten blah, it’s time to throw in some stair climbing to really kick your body into gear. And remember, going both up and down stairs challenges your body. Running down steps might seem like a piece of cake, but it takes extra concentration and muscle control to keep your balance, especially near the end of your run. Lunges To really build muscles, use a staircase to help you with some deep lunges. Stand at the bottom of a staircase and put your right foot a few stairs up, so the bend in your knee forms a 90 degree angle. Keep your left foot about two to three feet away from the base of the stairs. Slowly lower yourself, keeping your torso straight, until your left knee almost touches the ground. Lift yourself up and repeat. To start, try 15 reps before switching to the other leg. Kangaroo Hops Jumping is the ultimate cardio workout plus leg, butt, and ab blaster. Start at the bottom of a staircase and jump to the next step (or second to next step, depending on the size of the stairs) both feet at a time. Do this all the way to the top of the staircase, jog back down, and repeat. Sure, people might stare while you hop abound like a kangaroo, but just think about how they’ll be staring the next time you put on a pair of skinny jeans. ;-)
Miss Snarky took this month off and so what follows is my personal advice on arguing. Be mindful. -Amanda Narcisi Women react differently than men when it comes to getting upset about life. Deaths, money issues, or straight up just people being assholes. Men: they get angry, drunk and mostly lash out at those they love. Women: they mostly cry. They beg and plead for someone to listen to them to even care for a moment about how they feel. This is why men and women fight when there relationships are serious and they are faced with the same challenges. If you are not serious then this is when the break-up happens and most of the time the woman goes into a deeper depression. Then they drink, do drugs, have one night stands and other things that aren’t healthy. I call this the Chocolate cake syndrome. It is less than a week before my 36th birthday. I have no job, no money and everyday I sit at the computer either making art, working on a business, or writing this book. Everyday has been worse since February when I lost my job.I get more and more lonely. I have the same four walls the same coffee shop and the same disappointment day in and day out. Everyday it gets worse. Hell I didn’t even get out of bed yesterday. Then I realize that it is like this game we had in grade school. You were paired up with someone that you never would have chosen. You had to sit back to back with the person, wrap arms and then push your backs together to get to a standing position. I know it sounds like a weird torture things and it makes you trust a person you don’t know. That is how it is like a couple depressed together. The woman sits there waiting for the man to push back and work with her. After five minutes he stands even more frustrated than before, brushes off his gym shorts and says: “This is a dumb game. I am gonna go now.” and the woman is left sitting there wondering what she did wrong by leaning on him and asking for him to lean on her. Now I wish I could tell you how not to do this horrible cycle of roller coaster that every couple goes through. I have tried not to be the woman
on the floor waiting for her partner to come back. I tried to appeal to the man’s athletic side by acting like a coach and giving pep talks and a quick slap on the ass and some of the time this was the most successful to snap him out of it. As a woman, I just need time. I will cry for a few days and the good things will happen and then something bad will happen and I will throw up my hands in anger instead of celebration. That is a horrible thing to do as a successful person. Maybe you are the type of woman who goes on a reckless night to get over whatever upset you. Hell, when I lost my job in February I swore I wasn’t going to do something dumb and reckless. I swore I just wanted some hot tea and chocolate cake; maybe a glass of milk. But that night as I cried for the 50th time and I leaned on my partner all he had in him to treat my ails was beer and a whole lot of it. He sat there quietly and let me drink and play the jukebox and dance and try to say screw it to the man. That I was going to do my own thing and being broke and at home all the time was going to be great. For one night I believed in myself. The next day: Not so much. Hindsight is always 20/20. I wish I could say the hot tea and chocolate cake works too. Nope that usually turns to tears and soggy cake where you are claiming you are fat and no one loves you...which is a lie. So if you must indulge in the chocolate cake do it in public. That way you are guaranteed no tears in your milk. That actually does lead me to my next piece of advice. No matter how hard to chips are thrown at you: Never let them see you sweat. People feed off of people who are weak. It is human nature. It is a bizarre trait I have that no matter how depressed, broke, angry or any other emotion; I never show it when I walk into a room to network or even just have one relaxing night out. It isn’t that depression is a weakness, it is the opposite, it shows strength and human emotion. But others in the room don’t know that, they look it at time to put you down more or even give an opportunity to someone else. The latter is usually more offensive. You are viewed that your current mind condition could affect your work. Although that is true, work can also bring you out of your current state of depression...You follow me there? Say for instance you have a networking event you are headed to and you are broke as a joke, as most of us are now, So if you look upset or your body BOLD Pittsburgh 31
language reads you don’t want to be shaking hands or talking to anyone you may miss the opportunity to make money. Always walk in with a smile and an open mind and let the opportunities come in.
other thing to add to the shopping list this week. Later that night I got into another argument with my partner and there was a sleepless night involved and I was feeling lower than low. Then this chapter flowed into my mind and out of my hands This particular thinking goes back to my days and then I got an email about my help with a logo. in the restaurant world. If you wanted to get tips you That opportunity will turn no money, but it will give have to smile and be nice. You have to be confident me exposure to an artist group which I never met and mind clear. So right after I put my apron on I before. So while it isn’t a monetary win it is still a would close my eyes and clear my head and picture win. customers giving me money. I know that is mean So this is my warning to heed all the pain to do is just treat a customer as an ATM but when with a grain of salt and push through it. Tomorrow you are in the service industry that is what they are, will open a new door. Never let them see you sweat. you give them a smile and a show and they give you Never let them see you bleed. Chin up. Get some money. You are an actor. Plain and simple and that rest. Meditate. Breath. Eat cake. Drink tea. Whiskey you should apply to every situation. Walk in as you is good, but too much is the devil. Be yourself. Love are walking on a stage. Head up, back straight and yourself. confident that you know your lines. Just keep in mind: Never let them see you sweat and you don’t know what is behind that door. As far as getting a man to “get over it” there is no true answer to it. It has been as little as getting a good meal and a bottle of wine into him to a pep talk to even just letting him go nuts for a few days and just get it out of their system. They way you deal with it is key. I run my mouth as most girls do, which is probably horrible, but after so many boyfriends who never show emotion I basically start to think it is me and I in turn make an ass out of myself and just get cranky...really, really, cranky. I wish I could turn this off and just sit there in silence and let them go and do whatever to get them out of it, but it is a different disease called caring. I know, that really isn’t a disease, but most men view it that way. Men view it as a weakness. Most couples break up over this. Some talk through it. most though just fight until one snaps then it gets better. It is a horrible roller coaster. Another thing is to really celebrate the good things that happen no matter how small it will make the bad things not seem so bad. Like I was working on a project for The Three River Regatta yesterday and my podcast about the Regatta got picked up and distributed through them. Great I need to celebrate that. It was the first time since starting my podcast some major company or even picked it up. Fabulous=happy dance. Then I went back to work on my project for them and my sewing machine Have a question for our resident snark adbroke. Specifically the needle did. Typically I would vice? Life and Love? Give us a shout! have flipped out but I just thought that it was an- BoldPittsburgh@gmail.com 32 BOLD Pittsburgh
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