Chipped/Chopped Ham

I feel like I've done Pittsburgh justice in my lifetime. I've lived here my whole life and I've pretty much done all of the things that I've wanted to do--things exclusive to this great city. Pittsburgh certainly has its charm, which makes it easy to embrace. The arts, the music, the food, the people, most definitely the bars; I've been to most places and enjoyed them.

On a music note, I've been to all of the good venues and most of the bad ones. While I am obviously too young to have experienced a show at the Electric Banana or the Crawford Grill or the Syria Mosque, I've seen my fair share of events at Club Laga and Graffiti and Metropol and Rosebud. I've been to Diesel before it was Diesel when it was Nick's Fat City. It's important to live in a city and know all the stomps. At least, I think so.

I've always wanted to clean up my list, so to speak; a list that I've comprised of all of the places I've yet to go and all of the things I've yet to experience. I knocked one off this morning and had breakfast in one of Pittsburgh's infamous diners--Isaly's.

For those unknowing, Isaly's is renowned for chipped/chopped ham. One site claims this deli meat to be one of Pittsburgh's original four food groups. Sliced paper thin, layered on a bun with a slice of cheese (and maybe some hometown BBQ sauce); this type of sandwich holds a very special place in this city's illustrious history.

One of the only surviving locations nestles in Pittsburgh's neighborhood to the north, West View. I've been spending a lot of time in West View lately and decided to have me some breakfast at the little hotspot diner on Perry Highway. Kudos to the service (four coffee refills in 45 minutes!), the food (ham and eggs with white toast), the decor (loads of wall photos of historic Pittsburgh, West View, and the defunct West View Park), and the overall feel of the restaurant. It made me appreciate this city even more to be there.

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I'm gearing up for tomorrow's Les Shelleys show at the Thunderbird Cafe in Lawrenceville. After a few errands run, I'll be back home to further enjoy the new record from this duo. More on this show at a later date, of course!

Diamond Ring - Joseph Arthur & the Lonely Astronauts

Joseph Arthur at Liquid Sundays; five tracks that are new and awesome...

After a long workday yesterday, I decided to grab a coffee and a bite at the ol' donut shop and bullshit with my pal Bruce. I took with me the new City Paper, as I was going to catch up on the complete summer concert schedule here in Pittsburgh. Bruce and I chatted about sex, drugs, death, and country music; it was nice to kill two hours.

In the listings, a show this Sunday caught my eye. Joseph Arthur is playing (and painting) at J. Verno Studios on 3030 Jane Street in the South Side of Pittsburgh with Harlan Twins and Long Time Darlings as a part of the Liquid Sundays event. The show starts at 6pm. Five artists are featuring work in mosaics, photography, graphic art, and live graffiti. There is also a laser cutting display by Epilog Laser. Yuengling beer will be provided free of charge. 21 and over, and we're talking about $15. It's a must see.

www.liquidsundays.com

I was also delighted to see that The National are making a September stop to the 'Burgh (accompanied by Owen Pallett) and Broken Social Scene is coming to the Byham Theater in the Cultural District. A very exciting summer indeed.

I'll be glad to post more info upon request. Hope to see you and one or all of these events.

To go with the theme of 'new and exciting', here are five new tracks that may leave you wanting more...

Constellation Dirtbike Head - Tobacco
Volunteers - Megafaun
Congratulations - MGMT
Saturday Come Slow (feat. Damon Albarn) - Massive Attack
Thursday - Noisia