By Julian Routh | Editor-in-Chief
Arcade Comedy Theater
811 Liberty Ave.
In the two and a half years it has been open, the Arcade Comedy Theater has become the prime spot for laughs in Pittsburgh. The 75-seat theater showcases Pittsburgh’s funniest improv troupes, stand-up comedians and sketch comedy groups with shows every Friday and Saturday night.
Most modern comedy theaters are expensive and for adults only, but the Arcade is affordable and open to everyone. If you come a few minutes early, you can get a ticket for only $5 with your Duquesne ID. Otherwise, tickets are $10.
How to get there: Walk down Fifth Avenue into the city, make a right onto Wood Street and another right onto Liberty.
Upcoming event: Friday, Aug. 21, 10 p.m. The Pittsburgh acting troupe No Name Players will perform their live monthly sitcom, The Sisters Sorella.
Stage AE
400 North Shore Drive
If the typical college student’s Spotify playlist was embodied in a concert venue, it would be Stage AE. Sandwiched between Heinz Field and PNC Park, the amphitheater brings in some of today’s hottest and hippest acts at a fair price. Just this summer, it hosted Tame Impala, The War on Drugs, Damien Rice, Action Bronson, Hozier and Die Antwoord, with prices ranging from $20 to $50.
Unfortunately, you won’t get the intimacy here that you will at Mr. Smalls Theatre in Millvale or Altar Bar in the Strip District, but the atmosphere of Stage AE’s outdoor stage – featuring a beautiful city backdrop – cannot be rivaled.
How to get there: Board the T inbound at Steel Plaza and take it to the North Side stop. The venue is outside of the station to the right.
Upcoming event: September’s lineup is packed. Of Monsters and Men (Sept. 16), Death Cab for Cutie (Sept. 17), Mac Miller (Sept. 20) and Misterwives (Sept. 23). Get your tickets now at www.promowestlive.com.
Hollywood Theater
1449 Potomac Ave.
Pittsburgh has several art house movie theaters that show niche films and cult classics, but the Hollywood Theater in Dormont does it with style. Inside the historic walls of the theater – which has been open for more than 70 years – you can bring your friends to see a midnight showing of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” or enjoy delicious popcorn during a premiere of a much-anticipated documentary.
Make sure to look around at the art on the walls of the lobby. You’ll see a signed movie poster of “Perks of Being a Wallflower,” which was shot on location in the theater.
Bring your student ID and they’ll knock a few dollars off the ticket price.
How to get there: Take the Red Line T outbound at Steel Plaza to the Potomac station. It is a short walk from there.
Upcoming event: Saturday, Aug. 22, 11:45 p.m. The Junior Chamber of Commerce Players will perform a live shadowcast to “Rocky Horror” in front of the screen. Get tickets at www.thehollywooddormont.org.
The Andy Warhol Museum
117 Sandusky Street
Nothing says Pittsburgh more than the Andy Warhol Museum, a seven-floor ode to the works of the American pop art icon. You need not know or appreciate Warhol’s art to have a good time; you can create your own screen test, peruse through a sea of silver Mylar clouds or eat tomato soup from the basement café.
For those who want a better understanding of Warhol’s creations, there are new installations every few months. This month, there is an exhibition detailing his early works at Carnegie Tech before emerging on the scene in New York City.
With a student ID, a ticket at the Warhol is only $10, which is half of regular admission.
How to get there: Take the Red Line T outbound at Steel Plaza to the Potomac station. It is a short walk from there.
Upcoming event: Saturday, October 10. An exhibit of Warhol’s work in books will be on display, and run until January.
