South Side's Rex Theater closing permanently
Pittsburgh’s Rex Theater, a South Side concert venue, will close permanently, theater management announced Tuesday on social media.
“Due to the ongoing hardship and uncertain future caused by the covid-19 pandemic, The Rex Theater will be closing our doors after over a decade of live music and events,” they wrote on Facebook.
“It’s sad,” said Scott Blasey, lead singer for the popular Pittsburgh band, The Clarks. “It’s a terrific venue. I am not surprised. I am not sure how any venue not owned by a bigger company is capable of staying in business.”
Blasey said he and other performers were hopeful that by now they would be returning to play at venues like the Rex.
“The industry is really struggling,” Blasey said. “And there is turnover in these venues, so maybe one day that space becomes something else and we can play there again.”
Sean McDowell, former WDVE disc jockey, said The Rex was one of his favorite venues in Pittsburgh. He said the station hosted the “DVE Rock for Children’s Hospital” benefits there. He said musicians included Todd Rundgren, Carl Palmer, Jack Cassidy, Chris Squire and others.
He said DVE personality Randy Baumann often complained that McDowell’s introduction ran longer than the band’s actual performance.
“But what always made any show at the beautiful Rex Theater memorable was trying to find a parking spot on the South Side,” McDowell said. “We loved The Rex. This is a tough one man. The bartenders were the best, too. I hate to see that beautiful venue shut down. So many great memories.”
The theater shut down in mid-March as the pandemic took hold and shutdowns were put in place. Owners held several fundraisers for employees who were left without work.
“While we greatly appreciate all of your support, and we understand that many of you would like to find some way to save The Rex,” they wrote, “please trust that we have considered every option and have done everything possible to keep our dream alive for as long as we could.”
Pittsburgh-based musician Ben Shannon said The Rex holds many memories for him.
“The Rex had one of the best open mics in town,” Shannon said Tuesday. “For a songwriter it was known as the low-key rough and tumble open mic. As a songwriter sometimes it helped to feel a sticky floor and sing to an audience that was less than five feet way from the mic. The Rex is where I held my first record release, and it was my last local live appearance before covid.”
The Rex originally opened in 1905 as a vaudeville theater, according to the venue’s website. It has been a venue for concerts and other live events.
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