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...
Legendary singer Connie Francis dead at 87
Connie Francis, the wholesome pop star of the 1950s and 1960s whose hits include “Pretty Little Baby” and who would later serve as an ironic title for a personal life filled with heartbreak and tragedy, has died at age 87. Her death was announced Thursday by her friend and publicist,...
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...
Unreleased Beyoncé music stolen during ‘Cowboy Carter’ tour
Unreleased music by Beyoncé along with footage, show plans and concert set lists were stolen from a car in Atlanta rented by the singer’s choreographer and one of her dancers, according to a police incident report. The theft of the materials, stored on five thumb drives, happened on July 8,...
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...
Northside Music Festival returns to rock this weekend
The Northside Music Festival has become a mainstay of local music lovers’ summer calendars after just two years. Now in its third year, the festival boasts around 100 musical acts over three days, in the Deutschtown neighborhood of the North Side. Festival organizer Ben Soltesz also helped to organize the...
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...
Spin Doctors, Gin Blossoms and Blues Traveler rock it old school at Pittsburgh Brewing Co.
On Sunday night, Pittsburgh Brewing Co. in Creighton got a lineup that would’ve completely packed Star Lake in 1995. You can just imagine a sea of tie-dye-clad hacky-sackers rocking out to three of the moment’s hottest bands. Considering it’s 30 years later, the bill of Spin Doctors, Gin Blossoms and...
London music festival cancels its final night after ELO’s Jeff Lynne pulls out
LONDON — A two-week-long music festival in central London has canceled its final night after Jeff Lynne’s Electric Light Orchestra pulled out of the headline slot on Sunday. Lynne, 77, who was billed to play alongside his band Sunday at the The BST Hyde Park festival, withdrew on Saturday on...
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...
Justin Bieber releases ‘Swag,’ his long-awaited 7th album
NEW YORK — Never say never! Justin Bieber surprised fans Friday by releasing “Swag,” his seventh studio album, hours after he teased it on billboards and social media posts. It is his first album since 2021’s “Justice” and his first since becoming a father last year. “Inspired by his devotion...
Here are 5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: July 11-13
If you’re intimidated by the cucumber-hungry crowds of Picklesburgh and you’re looking for something else to do this weekend, don’t worry! There’s still plenty going on around Pittsburgh (outside of Downtown). At least five things, in fact! Swissvale Edible Garden Tour Right at the height of the growing season, Swissvale...
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....
The Lumineers brighten up Star Lake with career-spanning set
In a field of flowing skirts and flower crowns, Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites, the two-man group that is The Lumineers, lit up the night sky at the Pavilion at Star Lake during their Automatic World Tour performance Wednesday night. As the sun set on the audience, The Lumineers started...
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...
Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron says he’s leaving the band after nearly 30 years
Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron said Monday he’s leaving the band after nearly 30 years. The 62-year-old Cameron announced his departure in a social media post. “After 27 fantastic years, I have taken my final steps down the drum riser for the mighty Pearl Jam,” Cameron said. “Much love and...
Ozzy Osbourne says farewell to live performance with a hometown show for 40,000 fans
LONDON — Hard-rock royalty and some 40,000 fans gathered for an ear-splitting tribute to Ozzy Osbourne at what the heavy metal icon says was his last live performance. The original lineup of Osbourne’s band Black Sabbath performed at Villa Park soccer stadium in their home city of Birmingham, central England,...
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...
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra starts off Independence Day right with their Americana Concert
On the eve of Independence Day, an enthusiastic audience gathered to celebrate America’s musical legacy. The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra held its annual Americana Concert on Thursday at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum in Oakland. They shone a bright spotlight on mostly American composers, with a focus on militarily...
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...
Here are 5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: July 4-6
As we look forward to Independence Day weekend, schedules will be packed with barbecues, fireworks and fun. But in between all of the hot dogs and dips in the pool, take some time to see what’s going on in the city. Here are five events to enhance your three-day weekend....
Celebrities react swiftly to Diddy’s trial verdict
The split verdict Wednesday against Sean “Diddy” Combs has sparked controversy — and the reactions on social media have been just as swift. Some of the fastest responses came from celebrities who knew the music mogul personally. Rapper 50 Cent, who has had an over 20-year feud with Diddy, took...
311 jams their way into July at Stage AE
Summer is here (whether we like the way it arrived or not), and that means more than just scorching temperatures. There are also pool parties, long drives with the windows down and lazy, sunny afternoons to look forward to. And, of course, summer jams to soundtrack it all. Few bands...
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...
