01/13/2026
My background is in publishing, specifically alt-weeklies. My all-time favorite jobs (working for someone else, that is) were at Philly Weekly & InPittsburgh Newsweekly — both of which folded some years ago (2022 & 2001). All over the country, then & every year since then, alt weeklies have folded.
Pittsburgh City Paper (which bought & absorbed InPgh) was instrumental in Quiet Storm’s growth over the years. In the early days, pre-social media, we advertised in CP every week, listing our live music schedule & theme brunches & Scrabble battles & sidewalk sales & ever-expanding hours.
City Paper was the only game in town for small business. And it worked, arguably better than social media ever has.
Who remembers our Sound Kitchen concert series with an 18-year-old ? 🥹
Shout-out to the many bands & artists who showed up & showed out too. The Storm’s live music era was really something.
As for City Paper, what a shame. If QS was still around there’d be a stool for every displaced writer, designer & photographer, home fries on the house. Probably a theme brunch fundraiser. Speaking of, check the link in bio to donate to CP staff, now facing a historically bad job market.
Big thanks to millenium-era CP folks Kellee Maize, Bill O’Driscoll, Traci Price Hassan & Chris Potter (all of whom had already moved on before the abrupt closure last week).
Long live independent publishing!
