Mariah Carey, Travis Scott, Trans-Siberian Orchestra among December's top concerts around Pittsburgh
With Christmas right around the corner, two big shows at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh will capture the spirit of the holiday. Here’s a look at the most notable shows coming to the area in December:
Top shows
Dec. 5: Mariah Carey at PPG Paints Arena
Mariah Carey, the queen of Christmas, is out on the road for 16 shows on her Merry Christmas One and All! tour.
Of course, she’ll be playing her holiday classic, “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” alongside other festive songs and a few of her non-Christmas hits.
In an appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” at the beginning of November, Carey said it’s not her fault that Christmas music keeps creeping earlier and earlier, despite her Nov. 1 video claiming it was time.
“I had to just go with the flow, because everybody was rushing the holiday season and they starting playing my song,” she said. “So I kept being like, ‘Not yet, don’t play it yet. It’s not time yet, why are we playing Christmas songs?’ But they were doing it, so then I just was like, ‘OK.’ It became… it was a joke, it was just for laughs.”
Dec. 8: Travis Scott, Teezo Touchdown at PPG Paints Arena
Houston rapper Travis Scott, fresh on the heels of his summer release of his fourth album, “Utopia,” brings the Circus Maximus tour to Pittsburgh.
Already nominated for a Grammy for best rap album, “Utopia” features appearances from Drake, Beyonce, Bad Bunny and SZA, among many others.
“People think of the world as a great place, but then also in a crazy, wild place right now,” he told GQ magazine. “In all different parts of the world, nothing is at, like, a Utopia spot on a three-sixty aspect. People go through things. You know, you can be in the hood, you can be wherever, and it can be the roughest time ever. There’s 24 hours in a day, and it might be like one minute, one second, whatever, that might make somebody smile. It might take them away from where they’re at. The little distraction. No matter how long it is or how little it is, to me, that’s like a form of Utopia. And so I thought, like, creating an experience that can get people to kind of zone into that aspect of their life and maybe find some balance.”
Read more: The reemergence of Travis Scott
Dec. 16: Trans-Siberian Orchestra at PPG Paints Arena
The Christmas musical extravaganza otherwise known as the Trans-Siberian Orchestra is headed to Pittsburgh for its annual appearance (with shows at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m.)
Light shows, lasers, special effects and pyro — and shredding guitars — and more will be part of the Ghosts of Christmas Eve tour.
“I would say the biggest, best one ever — absolutely. And I say that year after year and I don’t think I have ever disappointed or let anybody down,” TSO’s music director/lead guitarist Al Pitrelli told the San Jose Mercury News. “I think what would break my heart would be if somebody came up to me after a show and said, ‘You know, dude? It was better last year.’ That means I failed. And that’s not going to happen. Not on my watch.”
Read more: Trans-Siberian Orchestra songs won’t go out of style since they were never written to be in style
Sold-out shows
Dec. 10: The Mountain Goats, Stephen Steinbrink at Thunderbird Music Hall
The indie rock band The Mountain Goats are touring in support of their 22nd album, “Jenny from Thebes,” released in October.
Other notable shows
Dec. 1: Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real at Stage AE
Dec. 1: Alan Cumming and Ari Shapiro at Byham Theater
Dec. 2: Joe Grushecky, Royal Honey at Crafthouse
Dec. 2: Jazz is Dead at Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall
Dec. 5: Kenny G at Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall
Dec. 6: Dave Koz and Friends at Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall
Dec. 10: Joan Osborne at City Winery Pittsburgh
Dec. 10: Steel Panther, Moon Fever at Roxian Theatre
Dec. 12: Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox at Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall
Dec. 12-13: Billy Strings at Petersen Events Center
Dec. 14: Lany, Patrick Martin at Stage AE
Dec. 14: The Motortown All-Stars at the Palace Theatre
Dec. 15: Sara Evans at the Palace Theatre
Dec. 16: Bouncing Souls, 7 Seconds, Strike Anywhere, Catbite, Blind Adam and the Federal League at Mr. Smalls Theatre
Dec. 29: The Commonheart at Mr. Smalls Theatre
Mike Palm is a TribLive digital producer who also writes music reviews and features. A Westmoreland County native, he joined the Trib in 2001, where he spent years on the sports copy desk, including serving as night sports editor. He has been with the multimedia staff since 2013. He can be reached at mpalm@triblive.com.
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