14 high school bands will compete at PIMBA 2024 Championships in Monroeville
Marching bands from across the region will compete this weekend in Monroeville at the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association’s 2024 championships. For Shawn Harris, director of the Southmoreland High School Scotties Marching Band, it’s a chance to showcase his students’ talent. “A lot of times at halftime, we aren’t always...
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame turns up starpower to induct Cher, Foreigner, Mary J. Blige, Ozzy and more
CLEVELAND — Hollywood stars Julia Roberts and Zendaya bookended Saturday’s inductions into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, giving a little stardust to an eclectic lineup that included pop icon Cher, heavy metal’s Ozzy Osbourne, hip-hop soul queen Mary J. Blige, soft rockers Foreigner and 83-year-old soul icon Dionne...
Rick Springfield defends his ’80s rock heartthrob title at Rivers Casino
At 75, Australian born rocker Rick Springfield is living proof that the ’80s are still alive and well in the music world. He’s most well-remembered for his 1981 No. 1 hit “Jessie’s Girl,” which has earned its place in the upper echelon of the decade’s pop music canon. But he...
Music in U.S. presidential campaigns dates all the way back to George WashingtonVideo
Quick! When you hear “Don’t Stop” by Fleetwood Mac, what do you think of? For a large swath of the U.S. population who lived through the 1990s, the answer may very well be Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign. “I became old enough to vote during the Clinton years, and I...
Hanson proves they’re more than ‘MMMBop’ at Roxian show
It’s time to get another catchy ’90s classic stuck in your head. Pop rock band Hanson was a trio of precocious brothers when their hit “MMMBop” wormed its way into ears across the world in 1997. That may have been their biggest moment of pop stardom, but Isaac, Taylor and...
Alana Springsteen talks Tiny Desk concert, ‘TWENTY SOMETHING’ album, new era ahead of Pittsburgh showVideo
Alana Springsteen grew up watching the Tiny Desk Concerts hosted by NPR, obsessing over the way artists arranged songs differently in the compact environment. So the country singer found it “surreal” when she got her opportunity to perform there in August. ”So when NPR tapped me to come do it,...
What we know about Liam Payne’s death, including some of the unanswered questions
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Argentine authorities continue to investigate the death of former One Direction singer Liam Payne, who died Wednesday at age 31 after falling three stories from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires. Payne was a beloved member of the group, which formed in 2010 after its members...
Here are 5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Oct. 18-20
It’s been a chilly week, but the temperature will be jumping back up this weekend. Get up, get out, shake off those cold work week blues and see what’s going on around town this weekend. Highmark International StrEAT Festival Hungry? Head to the Highmark International StrEAT Festival to satisfy all...
Pink Martini’s China Forbes on the band’s 30 years and 30 languagesVideo
Pink Martini, the Portland, Oregon, band known for its eclectic blending of jazz, Latin and classical music, is celebrating its 30th anniversary, which caught singer China Forbes off guard. “It’s so hard to believe. It’s really quite unexpected,” said Forbes, who joined a year after the band’s formation. “I wasn’t...
Tribute bands take Western Pennsylvania by storm
These days, it’s easy to book the Beatles for a wedding, go to a local bar and see Queen or score inexpensive tickets to see Motley Crue. As long as you’re okay with a different band lineup, that is. Tribute bands — groups of musicians who play sets imitating big-name...
Australian singer Imogen Clark discusses new album, famous studios, moving away ahead of Pittsburgh debutVideo
Australian singer Imogen Clark had a memorable first time in Pittsburgh earlier this summer, traveling here to see one of Bruce Springsteen’s concerts. “It was great, but unfortunately it was a very short trip,” Clark said recently. “We really just came, we had some good seafood — it was delicious...
Soul Asylum’s Dave Pirner talks touring, new album ‘Slowly But Surely’ ahead of Pittsburgh showVideo
Dave Pirner has been touring with Soul Asylum for around 40 years, but there’s one item he continually loses on the road, so much so that he joked about adding it to the band’s merch. “I still can’t keep track of a toothbrush,” he said. With all the touring Soul...
New lawsuits accuse Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs of sexual assault against 6 people, including a minor
NEW YORK — A new wave of lawsuits filed Monday accuses Sean “Diddy” Combs of raping women, sexually assaulting men and molesting a 16-year-old boy. At least six lawsuits were filed against the hip-hop mogul in federal court in Manhattan. They were filed anonymously, two by women identified as Jane...
Billie Eilish brings Hit Me Hard and Soft tour to PittsburghVideo
Pop star Billie Eilish transcended the arena setting Sunday night, putting on a display of intimacy among the almost 20,000 in attendance at a sold-out show at PPG Paints Arena. An arena might not sound like the optimal choice for a concert overflowing with intense emotions, feelings and reflections, but...
Mt. Lebanon native Amy Rigby on hometown show, moving to England, new albumVideo
There was a point during the covid pandemic when Amy Rigby considered moving back to the Pittsburgh area. The singer-songwriter from Mt. Lebanon, who has lived in New York City, Nashville, France and upstate New York over the years, got to the point of checking out homes online with her...
Music Review: Charli XCX’s ‘Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat’ remixes, ranked
NEW YORK — This is the way Brat summer ends, not with a bang, but a Twitch live stream. On Thursday afternoon, hours after her deluxe, remixed, double-album version of her culture-shifting album “Brat” leaked — this one called “Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat” — and...
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs to stay in jail while appeals court takes up bail fight
NEW YORK — A federal appeals court judge has ruled to keep Sean “Diddy” Combs locked up while he makes a third bid for bail in his sex trafficking case, which is slated to go to trial in May. In a decision filed Friday, Circuit Judge William J. Nardini denied...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Oct. 11-13
It’s getting chilly out there! For those who like a day in the brisk autumn air, there’s some great events for you this weekend. For those trying to keep toasty — and avoid turning on the furnace too early — we’ve got you covered, too. Here are some things to...
Rock Against Cancer: Night of music in West Deer benefits supportive nonprofitVideo
From George Harrison’s Concert for Bangladesh to four decades’ worth of Farm Aid shows, musicians have a long history of lending their talents to support worthy causes. Add Mike Fitzgerald and friends to the list. On Oct. 19, the fourth annual Fitzgerald-organized Rock Against Cancer event will take place, with...
Lee DeWyze out to show he’s so much more than a former ‘American Idol’ winnerVideo
Lee DeWyze may have that he’s the Season 9 winner of “American Idol” on his resume, but it’s not the pinnacle of his career, not by a long shot. Likening his musical output to a Christmas tree, DeWyze is striving for a diversity of decorations. ”(‘American Idol’ is) a beautiful...
Riley Keough felt a duty to finish Lisa Marie Presley’s book on Elvis, grief, addiction and love
Riley Keough was quick to agree to help complete her mother’s memoir. She thought they’d write it together, reflecting on her extraordinary upbringing and life, but it became a much greater responsibility after Lisa Marie Presley’s sudden death in 2023. Finishing the task her mother — the only child of...
Stevie Wonder celebrates the healing joy of music at PPG Paints ArenaVideo
“I want you to know that it’s OK to love, it’s OK to care.” That was the message that legend of R&B, funk and soul Stevie Wonder brought to the stage Tuesday night at PPG Paints Arena. Kicking off his national tour — Sing Your Song! As We Fix Our...
Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston’s mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91
LOS ANGELES — Cissy Houston, the mother of the late Whitney Houston and a two-time Grammy winner who performed alongside superstar musicians like Elvis Presley, and Aretha Franklin, has died. She was 91. Houston died Monday morning in her New Jersey home while under hospice care for Alzheimer’s disease, her...
JVK singer Jo Krieger discusses Boston band’s tour, ‘Body Double’ single, more ahead of Pittsburgh showVideo
Putting together the first cross-country tour for Boston-based rock band JVK has definitely been daunting for founder/frontwoman Jo Krieger. ”We’re very ambitious and we’ll do absolutely anything and everything to get to where we want to be. So we were coming up with this tour and all the dates, we’re...
Jelly Roll offers inspiration in sold-out Pittsburgh concertVideo
Jelly Roll provided a concise yet accurate description of his show at one point Saturday night, calling it “real music for real people with real problems.” In a sold-out concert at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, the country/rap/rock/pop star never flinched as he stared down those issues, while also being...
