Mike Palm stories, Page 7
Pittsburgh local music spotlight: Rachel Whitcomb
Rachel Whitcomb described her new album “Wildest Dreams” as a love letter to 1990s country music. Whitcomb, an associate dean at Duquesne University, worked with Nashville musicians like Brent Mason (guitar) and Scotty Sanders (steel guitar), as well as Ryan Joseph (fiddle), a Duquesne graduate who has toured with Alan...
Review: Guitarist Ace Frehley dives into Kiss history in Pittsburgh area showVideo
Ace Frehley didn’t rock and roll all night on Friday, with the former Kiss guitarist’s show at Jergel’s Rhythm Grille in Warrendale ending shortly before 11 p.m. But “The Spaceman” showed why countless guitar players derived inspiration from his Kiss heyday, as he and his band took a dive into...
Pittsburgh local music spotlight: The Pump Fakes
Earlier this year, The Pump Fakes released their first new album in 14 years, with several reasons for the big gap. “The easy answer is the pandemic,” singer/guitarist Patrick Maloney said, “but it was really that and the changes within the band lineup and trying to narrow it down to...
Review: Pantera opens Heaviest Tour of the Summer in PittsburghVideo
Touted as the Heaviest Tour of the Summer, Tuesday night’s Pantera/Amon Amarth/SNAFU show at the Pavilion at Star Lake more than lived up to the billing. Pantera opened their tour at Star Lake, getting in several days of rehearsals at the venue after earlier opening shows for Metallica, festival appearances...
The Head and the Heart guitarist Matty Gervais on band’s ‘new beginning’ ahead of Aperture tour stop in PittsburghVideo
Just as The Head and the Heart guitarist Matty Gervais started talking about the influence having a new child had on the band’s latest album, who should crawl on to his left shoulder but his older daughter, 4-year-old Franny? The indie folk rock band’s sixth album, “Aperture,” came together as...
Pittsburgh local music spotlight: The Long HuntVideo
The Long Hunt, a heavy instrumental band based in Pittsburgh, are releasing their next album “Natural Order” on July 18 — “a labor of love and an artifact of where we are musically at the present moment,” according to guitarist Trevor Richards. “To me, it’s very evocative,” said bassist Allison...
Review: Pop-soul singer Teddy Swims’ career keeps getting bigger, just like his Pittsburgh crowdsVideo
The career of pop-soul singer Teddy Swims has come a long way in five years, going from posting YouTube covers in 2019 and 2020 to a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist this year. At Pittsburgh’s Stage AE, those achievements can be measured in feet. Swims played the Club at...
Gin Blossoms singer Robin Wilson talks collabs with Blues Traveler, Spin Doctors ahead of Pittsburgh tour stop
Over the course of their almost 40-year career, Arizona alternative rockers Gin Blossoms have hit the road extensively with Spin Doctors, but they’ve never toured with Blues Traveler. Until now. The trio of bands, which all scored huge radio hits in the 1990s, is together for a summer tour, which...
Pittsburgh local music spotlight: Arden WebsterVideo
Written over the past three years, Arden Webster’s debut album “Flight Risk” encapsulates her “journey into young adulthood through my own heartbreak and healing” in a mix of country, folk and indie music. “The album is largely a journey of self-discovery,” she said, “of getting so lost you in turn...
Paul McCartney’s Got Back tour includes Pittsburgh date this fall
Paul McCartney is getting back to Pittsburgh for the first time in more than 10 years. The Beatles icon announced his national Got Back tour on Thursday, including a Nov. 11 stop at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. Tickets will go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m....
Gin Blossoms singer Robin Wilson talks collabs with Blues Traveler, Spin Doctors ahead of Pittsburgh tour stop
Over the course of their almost 40-year career, Arizona alternative rockers Gin Blossoms have hit the road extensively with Spin Doctors, but they’ve never toured with Blues Traveler. Until now. The trio of bands, which all scored huge radio hits in the 1990s, is together for a summer tour, which...
Pittsburgh local music spotlight: The ZellsVideo
The Zells released a pair of singles — “Dog’s Night” and “You Are Not the Moon” — on July 1 as the band looks forward to even more new music down the road. “The plan is to start recording our third full length album in early 2026,” bassist Roman Benty...
Poison drummer Rikki Rockett revamps classic rock songs with The Rockett MafiaVideo
When Poison drummer Rikki Rockett brings his new group The Rockett Mafia to town, even he isn’t 100% sure about what’s going to be played. “We change our mind every other day, I swear to God. That’s what’s cool is, whatever you see this time, you probably will not see...
Former Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Jim Shooter, a Pittsburgh native, dies at 73
Former Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Jim Shooter, a native of Pittsburgh, died Monday at age 73. Shooter died after battling esophageal cancer, according to several reports. A 1969 graduate of Bethel Park High School, Shooter plotted stories for DC Comics as a teenager, created dozens of characters for several companies and...
Pittsburgh’s Frame and Mantle release 2nd album, ‘Well of Light’Video
Pittsburgh’s Frame and Mantle could be described as indie rock or post-emo, but a cursory listen on Spotify might give the impression that horns play a larger role. “I think that’s what people gravitate toward mainly, if they’re a listener, which I love,” guitarist Brian Thompson said. “That’s awesome that...
Pittsburgh local music spotlight: Stereo ScandalVideo
When Stereo Scandal put together their first album in 2023, the band’s members were still getting used to each other and focused on coming up with enough material to start playing shows. Their new EP, “Dancing in the Ashes,” is the next step in their evolution. “On this release, there...
The Lumineers, Pantera, Wiz Khalifa among July’s top concerts in Pittsburgh
The Billy Joel-Rod Stewart show slated for July 5 at Acrisure Stadium would have been the highlight of the month before health concerns forced the entire tour’s cancellation. There are still plenty of big shows coming to the Pittsburgh area in July, including Pittsburgh’s own Wiz Khalifa: Top concerts July...
Adam Sandler visiting Pittsburgh for comedy show this fallVideo
Comedian Adam Sandler will bring his You’re My Best Friend tour to Pittsburgh this fall. Sandler, who’s starred in comedies like “Happy Gilmore,” “Billy Madison” and “Grown Ups,” will perform on Sept. 20 at PPG Paints Arena. Tickets go on sale to the general public at noon Friday at ticketmaster.com....
Q&A: Stone Temple Pilots move forward with new singer Jeff Gutt: ‘I don’t think it’s sunk in yet’Video
It’s been almost eight years since Jeff Gutt became Stone Temple Pilots’ singer, and he still finds it hard to believe sometimes. “I don’t think it’s sunk in yet,” Gutt said with a laugh. “Every now and then, I’ve got to pinch myself, usually when we’re about to go on...
Western Pa. bands receive Josie Music Award nominations
Western Pennsylvania is well-represented in nominations for the 11th annual Jose Music Awards, which celebrate independent music: Alle-Kiski rock band Sourmash Group of the year, rock Song of the year, rock/alt rock/metal (duo/group alumni), “No More” Vocalist of the year, rock/metal (male), Tim Henry Musician of the year, bass, Dave...
Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan dives deep into band’s catalog in Pittsburgh showVideo
If Billy Corgan wants to go out and explore some lesser-known Smashing Pumpkins tracks, that’s fully his right. Corgan, after all, is the singer/guitarist as well as the primary songwriter for the psychedelic, fuzz-laden band that broke big with hits like “Cherub Rock,” “Disarm” and “Today” as alternative rock exploded...
Pittsburgh’s The Cheats release new album — ‘Old Rats on a New Ship’Video
The Cheats, a veteran punk band from Pittsburgh, released their latest album, “Old Rats on a New Ship,” on Friday, but it was actually the second album of originals they put together since 2020’s “Cussin’, Crying ‘N’ Carrying On.” “We actually had a whole record done with another member, but...
Pittsburgh local music spotlight: BenefitsVideo
Benefits’ first full-length album, “Burnout,” presents the songs in the order they were written, based on events ripped from the headlines from 2020-23. “The words and imagery in these songs really are faithfully harvested from the events that were happening and reported in the news over those years,” said Bill...
Grand Funk Railroad co-founder Mark Farner bringing ‘explosion of love’ for Pittsburgh area showVideo
It’s been more than three months since Mark Farner’s American Band played a concert, so he’s amped for the next show on his calendar, a June 26 stop at Jergel’s Rhythm Grille in Warrendale. “When we hit the stage, man, it’s like this big explosion,” said Farner, the original singer/guitarist...
Q&A: Avril Lavigne celebrating pop-punk glory days (and more) in Greatest Hits tourVideo
Pop-punk music is still going strong, and look no further than Avril Lavigne’s Greatest Hits tour for proof. The Canadian singer, who broke out as a teenager in 2002 with songs like “Complicated” and “Sk8er Boi,” sold out New York’s Madison Square Garden last month, with the tour making a...
