What to Do Over Winter Break: Pittsburgh Edition

So, with the Philly/Pittsburgh rivalry at Penn State, there’s no way you didn’t see this post coming, right? Here we go:

Performing Arts:

Defending the Caveman (Broadway’s smash comedy about the sexes) @ CLO

A Musical Christmas Carol @ CLO

Not performing arts, but art:
Andy Warhol Museum–If you haven’t been there yet and you are even mildly interested in obscure artwork, I suggest you head to this museum with a couple of buddies. I went this past summer for the third time and my favorite part is STILL the room with the balloons flying around; it never gets old.

Concerts:

Protest the Hero @ Mr. Smalls on December 22

Trans-Siberian Orchestra @ Consol Energy Center on December 23

Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra Holiday Performance @August Wilson Center on December 24

The Early November @ Altar Bar on December 28

Punchline @ Altar Bar on December 29

Altar Bar Battle of the Bands @ Altar Bar on January 5

Avicii @ Stage AE on January 8

Comedy:

John Valby @ Altar Bar on December 23

Bill Crawford @ The Pittsburgh Improv on December 23

Laughs for Zach @ The Pittsburgh Improv on December 28

Steve-O’s “Entirely Too Much Information Tour” @ The Pittsburgh Improv from December 29-January 1

The Fifth Annual Holiday Ha-Ha @ Club Cafe on December 30

Jeff Dunham @ Consol on December 31

Sports:

Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pens vs. Flyers game is going to be INSANITY. If you have $200/ticket, go. And bring me. It’s on December 29th, by the way.

Other Pens Games that aren’t nearly as important:

December 27 vs. the Hurricanes

January 6 vs. the Rangers

January 7 vs. the Devils

Pittsburgh Steelers

We had a bad loss to San Francisco the other night (I blame the power outage and Ben’s bum ankle), but we still have one last home game before playoffs, so if you can handle the cold weather, get out there and support your black and gold!

December 24 (Christmas Eve) vs. the St. Louis Rams

Holiday Fun:

Festival of Lights (ends January 1)

Hartwood Acres Celebration of Lights (ends January 8.)

New Year’s Eve Parties:

Olive or Twist’s Midnight Masquerade New Years Eve Party @ Olive or Twist

Nye 2011 @ Villa Southside

Highmark First Night Pittsburgh (featuring Rusted Root) @ Cultural District

That’s it, kids! I think there is something out there for everyone, so go out and have a good time in Pittsburgh! Let us know if we missed any event that you think is worth sharing to the Onward State world!

image Melanie Versaw

Mark

I only assume Jeff Dunham’s inclusion was mandated by Evan Kalikow.
mpc

i’m from virginia so i don’t have a horse in the race, but having been to both cities extensively, pittsburgh seems much more provincial and like a flyover country city than philly. the city is smaller, whiter, older, and i think western PA in general is always losing population.

i know they take alot of pride in the steelers, but its not like any of the players are local or anything. that said, the phillies obsession is also bandwagon at this point as well.

i just wish pittsburgh people woudln’t compare themselves to philly so much, because its apples to oranges. compare yourselves against the clevelands, detroits and cincinnatis of the world.
Yo

mpc. That was a dumb post.
Yo

SO the players arent from Pittsburgh or Philly makes it bandwagon? Idiot
Evan Kalikow

he’s the voice of a generations!
Evan Kalikow

he’s the voice of a generation!
Sarah

Have to have Velveeta at Altar Bar on NYE on here! They are the best Penn State band hands down and I’ve been to this show 3 years in a row and they are awesome every time!
Griff

However…. Pittsburgh is a pretty interesting city to go to in terms of art and technology with Carnegie Mellon, Point Park, and Google’s branch being there. I wouldn’t say the people are all super old. Of course that’s true depending on where you are in Pittsburgh, but there are quite a few young people present as well in Lawrenceville, Oakland, and the South Side. Philadelphia is all about murder, and being passive aggressive. Philadelphia is New Jersey without the weird Italian American morals that seem to govern everything. When you drive through areas of Philadelphia that are not the main line, everything is thrown together like a heap of garbage. There are suburban homes next to duplexes next to row homes next to mansions all juxtaposed in a cul-de-sac. I know both cities very well from a very hands on experience: Living in both. I grew up in Villanova which is near Philly in Radnor Township, but we had family from northeast Philly. Making the drive from the Villanova/Wayne area to NE Philly lets you see how awful the city truly is. You go from the gentle suburbs to Somalia in 10 seconds. At 15 I moved to Sewickley, PA near Pittsburgh. This area is similar to Radnor but in my opinion nicer since the homes are further apart. All I can say is that it was so nice to be able to go into the city of Pittsburgh on a Saturday with the family or a weekend night with your friends. Philly was some toilet that was inhabited by the rechid filth of the earth. Also, IMO the two nice areas of Pittsburgh that would be comparable to the main line are far nicer. They resemble Chad’s Ford, Doylestown where homes are further apart. There seems to be less poverty in Pittsburgh too.