Pittsburgh local music spotlight: The Low Kings

Mike Palm
Monday, Dec. 1, 2025 9:26 a.m. | Monday, Dec. 1, 2025 9:26 a.m.

The Low Kings

The Low Kings perform at Tequila Cowboy in the North Side on March 11, 2023. From left, Adam Valenti, Tom Bayley, guest member Terry Engelman, Shawn Melvin, Doug Heckman and Jeff Moore.

Michael J. Henderson

The Low Kings perform at Titusville Iron Works in Titusville on March 16, 2025. From left, Tom Bayley, Adam Valenti, Jeff Moore, Shawn Melvin and Doug Heckman.

Proceeds from the A Celtic Rock Christmas show will assist a pair of local organizations, and Pittsburgh’s The Low Kings were happy to join the bill.

“It’s gonna be a great event,” vocalist/guitarist Shawn Melvin said of the Dec. 11 event. “It’ll benefit the Pittsburgh Irish Festival, which does an amazing job of promoting Irish culture in the area. (It’s also our favorite festival to play every year.) They’ll also be collecting donations for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.”

The Low Kings are no strangers to giving back to those in need.

“Super important – we’re always down to help,” Melvin said. “After the horrible loss of Riley’s Pour House in Carnegie last year, we put together a show at the Allegheny Elks Lodge in the North Side where every dollar went to their employees.”

The band is known for its live performances — “It’s an experience you just can’t buy – the energy you put out onstage is returned several times over,” Melvin said — with plenty of opportunities around St. Patrick’s Day.

“The city has so many great venues, large and small,” he said. “Playing in Market Square on St. Patrick’s parade day is a killer way to see everything Pittsburgh is about. The Allegheny Elks Lodge is criminally underrated as a music venue — we love it. And standards like Tequila Cowboy and the Crafthouse are always a party. They have great sound, and the staff is always super welcoming.

“We also can’t wait for Riley’s Pour House to make its return in Carnegie. It was our home for several years, and we’re really looking forward to coming back.”

In November, the Low Kings performed their new song “The Battle of Bower Hill” on the “DVE Coffee House.”

“It’s an institution – we’ve been listening to that for 30-plus years, and it really made us feel like true Pittsburghers,” Melvin said.

As far as cool moments go for the band, that was tops, but they’ve made other great memories.

“A close second has been opening for international acts that we idolize,” he said. “That always feels surreal. Singing a song live with Gaelic Storm? I mean, they were in ‘Titanic’!”

Melvin filled in TribLive on what else we should know about The Low Kings:

Band: The Low Kings

Band members: Shawn Melvin (vocals, guitar); Adam Valenti (bagpipes, whistles); Tom Bayley (bass); Doug Heckman (guitar); Jeff Moore (drums)

Founding story: Just a bunch of guys who were into Celtic music and decided to make a run at it. We started by playing some string band-style shows in late 2016 but that morphed pretty quickly into a rock-band format in 2017. We’re all big rock fans, and we love bringing the heat to Celtic classics.

Origin of band’s name: It’s pretty much a gag on the idea of the Irish high king — Brian Boru and whatnot — through a blue-collar lens. That idea has influenced our songwriting quite a bit — there’s so much local history to draw from that includes Pittsburgh, Appalachian and Celtic culture. Our new song, “The Battle of Bower Hill,” for example, is about a Whiskey Rebellion battle just a few minutes away from our headquarters in Dormont. Whiskey, fighting, rock — you know, the standards. In the lab right now are songs about the Homestead steel strike, murderous sailors, unsung heroes and more.

For fans of: Hard-driving Celtic rock that doesn’t take itself too seriously. The Irish have perfected the art form of making music about whiskey, depression and despair that’s at the same time uplifting and hopeful. We’re proud to carry on that tradition.

Influences: Flogging Molly, The Pogues, The Dubliners, Christy Moore, U2

Releases: Our latest single “Paddy’s Round” is on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube. New single “The Battle of Bower Hill” coming soon.

Next shows: A Celtic Rock Christmas, Dec. 11 at Velum Fermentation, 2120 Jane St., South Side. Also on the bill are Ally the Piper and Bastard Bearded Irishmen. Plenty of dates coming for St. Patrick’s season, including March 14 at Tequila Cowboy and Crafthouse Stage & Grill; and March 13 at Fermata Brewing Co.

How to find them: The Low Kings can be found at their website, Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube.

Three other Pittsburgh area bands to check out: Century III, M.E.L.T., The Commonheart

Favorite pizza shop: Campiti’s in Dormont. RIP, Campiti’s. But for one that’s actually open, Badamo’s in Dormont (the same location of the former Campiti’s) or the North Side. Their Sicilian pizza is God’s own truth.

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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