Drummer Hal Blaine, played on hits of Sinatra, Elvis, dies
LOS ANGELES — Hal Blaine, the Hall of Fame session drummer and virtual one-man soundtrack of the 1960s and ’70s who played on the songs of Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and the Beach Boys and laid down one of music’s most memorable opening riffs on the Ronettes’ “Be My Baby,”...
Westmoreland Choral Society to present 2 free Mozart concerts
The Westmoreland Choral Society will present these free Mozart Festival concerts: • Mozart in the Cathedral, 7:30 p.m. March 29 in Blessed Sacrament Cathedral, 300 N. Main St., Greensburg • Mozart in the Mountains, 3 p.m. March 31 in Covenant Presbyterian Church, 200 N. Market St., Ligonier. The presentations will...
BowieLIVE brings British glam rocker’s music to Irwin’s Lamp TheatreVideo
A love of David Bowie’s music, and a common denominator of residing in Pittsburgh, led five musicians to form the tribute band BowieLIVE. Those musicians will take the stage at Irwin’s Lamp Theatre for the first time at 8 p.m. March 16. Lead singer Chris Theoret has the voice and...
Pittsburgh’s Nate Walker nails audition on ‘American Idol’
Pittsburgh’s own Nate Walker is making some musical waves on “American Idol,” nailing his audition on the popular show on Sunday night. And fans are responding. I would buy tickets for a Nate Walker concert right now #AmericanIdol— Becca Brown (@BeccaBTalksTV) March 11, 2019 The 18-year-old’s performance of A Great...
Nelly, TLC and Flo Rida bring the party to KeyBank Pavilion in AugustVideo
Grammy winning singer Nelly, known for hits ranging from “Hot in Here” to “Just a Dream” and “Cruise,” along with TLC and Flo Rida,will perform on Aug. 8 at KeyBank Pavilion in Burgettstown, Washington County. All Billboard chart-topping musicians, the three performing groups will tour North America together throughout the...
Bluegrass, country star Ricky Skaggs will play the Palace on March 31Video
He might describe himself as “just a country boy,” but from his days as a little kid playing on the Grand Ole Opry stage to fronting the Grammy-Award-winning Kentucky Thunder, Ricky Skaggs has made quite a mark on the music world. He’ll bring that lifetime of pickin’ and grinnin’ to...
The Academy Chamber Ensemble to perform at Central Presbyterian Church
A church is the perfect setting for this performance. Central Presbyterian Church in Tarentum presents its third concert for this season — “A Bassoon Runs Through It.” It’s set for 4 p.m. March 17 with the Academy Chamber Ensemble. The event will feature the music of Mozart, Beethoven and the...
R. Kelly: ‘We’re going to straighten all this stuff out’
CHICAGO — R. Kelly walked out of a Chicago jail on Saturday after someone who officials say did not want to be publicly identified paid $161,633 that the R&B singer owed in back child support. Kelly, who was ordered taken into custody on Wednesday by a judge after Kelly said...
Country music star Jamey Johnson plays the Palace April 5Video
A mountain of a man with a big mane of hair and a deep, drawling voice, Jamey Johnson will bring his country music to Greensburg’s Palace Theatre, 21 W. Otterman St., for a 7:30 p.m. April 5 concert. Special guests for the show will be announced. Doors will open at...
Thomas Rhett announces tour date at KeyBank Pavilion
Tickets will be available March 15 for country musician Thomas Rhett’s tour date near Burgettstown. The Very Hot Summer Tour will make a stop at KeyBank Pavilion on July 12, according to an announcement. Rhett will be joined by special guests Dustin Lynch, Russell Dickerson and Rhett Akins. Rhett’s international...
Westmoreland Symphony to host acclaimed Israeli cellist
A March 16 appearance with the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra is just one item in Israeli cellist Amit Peled’s full calendar. His 2018-19 slate include dates with the Warsaw (Poland) Philharmonic and the Bucharest Philharmonic, the Ravinia Festival in Illinois, a debut at the Kennedy Center with the Apollo Orchestra and...
Christina Aguilera to receive honor from Human Rights Campaign as ‘LGBTQ icon’
WASHINGTON — The nation’s largest LGBTQ civil rights organization is honoring Christina Aguilera with its Ally for Equality award. The Human Rights Campaign announced Thursday the six-time Grammy-winning singer is a true “LGBTQ icon” who uses her platform to “share a message of hope and inspiration” to those who have...
Lauren Daigle playing sold-out Pittsburgh showVideo
One thing Lauren Daigle has learned about performing live is that it’s OK to relax a bit and go with the flow on stage. “I was just talking to a friend about how in the very beginning you get caught up in trying to get it right,” Daigle said, looking...
Graham Nash plans intimate evening with music hall audienceVideo
It’s hardly an exaggeration to say that in his 77 years on this mortal coil, Graham Nash has lived the equivalent of multiple lifetimes. As a musician, he’s made his mark as a founding member of The Hollies, Crosby, Stills & Nash and its various permutations, in addition to having...
Poor Man’s Gambit blends Celtic, American folk
March is understandably the busiest time of the year for members of Poor Man’s Gambit, a trio of Celtic performing artists from the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. With plenty of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations on tap, band member Corey Purcell says “it’s great to be working musicians in...
Manfred Honeck to lead spectacular ‘The Damnation of Faust’
The Pittsburgh Symphony will present one of its most spectacular shows of the season when more than 250 performers will crowd the stage for Hector Berlioz’s “The Damnation of Faust.” The French composer had just the personality for a story ranging from heaven to hell. A true revolutionary in handling...
Music museums keeping Michael Jackson exhibits on display
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Megastar Michael Jackson’s musical legacy has been getting critically reappraised after a new documentary rekindled allegations of child sexual abuse, but at least two music museums in Detroit and Tennessee aren’t scrubbing the King of Pop from their exhibits. The National Museum of African American Music says...
Jason Aldean to receive artist of the decade award at ACMs
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Reigning entertainer of the year Jason Aldean will receive the artist of the decade award at this year’s Academy of Country Music Awards in April. The ACM announced Wednesday that Aldean will join only five other honorees that have received the award since 1969, including Marty...
Bush and Live bringing their joint summer tour to Pittsburgh
Seminal 1990s rock bands Live and Bush will co-headline this summer’s “The ALT-IMATE Tour,” celebrating the 25th anniversary of their respective landmark albums, “Throwing Copper” and “Sixteen Stone.” The tour includes an Aug. 25 date at Stage AE in Pittsburgh. Tickets go on sale to the general public at 10...
Post-interview, R. Kelly gets tried in the court of public opinion
“How stupid would I be to do that?” In an interview with Gayle King of “CBS This Morning,” R. Kelly asked the question others have been asking since the R&B singer was charged with sexually abusing four people, including three underage girls. In a performance of Shakespearean proportions, Kelly alternately...
Furious R. Kelly cries, blasts sex abuse accusers as liarsVideo
CHICAGO — R&B star R. Kelly cried, angrily stood up and ranted about being “assassinated” during his first interview since being charged with sexual abuse, calling his accusers liars and saying people are after him for his money. Kelly, one of the best-selling music artists of all time, told Gayle...
Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Music Festival coming back to KeyBank Pavilion
Willie Nelson is bringing his music festival to KeyBank Pavilion near Burgettstown on June 22, according to a Tuesday announcement. The Outlaw Music Festival Tour will include performances from Willie Nelson & Family, The Avett Brothers, Alison Krauss, Old Crow Medicine Show and Dawes. An opening act has yet to...
Ben Folds and Violent Femmes announce Stage AE show
Ben Folds and Violent Femmes are joining up and taking to the road this year. The co-headlining tour is headed to Pittsburgh with a stop at Stage AE on Aug. 6. Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 a.m.; the venue and the bands are also offering presale ticket chances...
Ryan Adams’ tour canceled after misconduct allegations
NEW YORK — Singer Ryan Adams’ upcoming tour of the United Kingdom and Ireland is canceled following reports of psychological abuse and sexual misconduct. The cancellation comes after The New York Times recently reported the misconduct allegations against Adams made by multiple women, including his ex-wife Mandy Moore. Seven women...
Neon Swing to play Mardi Gras show at NOLA on the Square
Neon Swing X-perience will let the good times roll from 7-10 p.m. March 5 with a Mardi Gras show at NOLA on the Square in downtown Pittsburgh. “Last year’s Mardi Gras show was quite an event, complete with vocalist/trumpeter Mike’s car being towed as the band looked on from the...
