The Decemberists highlight new album in 1st Pittsburgh show in 6 years
After the Decemberists finished playing their new song “Burial Ground” — an ode to hanging out in graveyards — frontman Colin Meloy mused about the crowd vibe Tuesday night at Stage AE in Pittsburgh. “I hope I didn’t bring people down,” he joked. There was little chance of that happening,...
Taylor Swift bill is signed into Minnesota law, boosting protections for online ticket buyers
MINNEAPOLIS — People buying tickets online for concerts, sporting events and other live events in Minnesota will be guaranteed more transparency and protection under a so-called Taylor Swift bill signed into law Tuesday by Gov. Tim Walz. The law, prompted by the frustration a legislator felt at not being able...
The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis deliver powerful punk/jazz punch in Pittsburgh showVideo
The Messthetics are not a typical jazz band by any means. With a rhythm section comprised of bassist Joe Lally and drummer Brendan Canty — both formerly of punk legends Fugazi — alongside guitarist Anthony Pirog, the Messthetics blur the lines between jazz and punk. On their third album, the...
Police investigating shooting outside Drake’s mansion that left security guard wounded
TORONTO — Police are investigating a shooting outside rapper Drake’s mansion in Toronto that left a security guard seriously wounded. Authorities did not confirm whether Drake was at home at the time of the shooting, but said his team is cooperating. The shooting happened around 2 a.m. Tuesday in the...
With help from AI, Randy Travis got his voice back. Here’s how his first song post-stroke came to be
With some help from artificial intelligence, country music star Randy Travis, celebrated for his timeless hits like “Forever and Ever, Amen” and “I Told You So,” has his voice back. In July 2013, Travis was hospitalized with viral cardiomyopathy, a virus that attacks the heart, and later suffered a stroke....
Luke Bryan’s Farm Tour visits Westmoreland County in SeptemberVideo
Luke Bryan is coming to Westmoreland County this fall. The country music star’s annual Farm Tour will visit Cunningham Family Farm in South Huntingdon on Sept. 28. The farm is located at 355 Fitz Henry Road. Bryan, who also serves as a judge on “American Idol,” is known for songs...
‘Silent Tears: The Last Yiddish Tango’ marks Holocaust Remembrance Day at Rodef Shalom
The award-winning music program “Silent Tears: The Last Yiddish Tango,” based on the poetry and writings of women who survived the Holocaust, will come to Pittsburgh this Sunday. On Holocaust Remembrance Day, Rodef Shalom Congregation will present the concert, which has toured in Europe and North America over the past...
From cassette tapes to vinyl records, physical media is trending in Pittsburgh
Cassette tapes brought Veronika Cloutier to Pittsburgh. Vinyl LPs have kept her here. Before moving to Pittsburgh from North Carolina in 2021, the former vocalist and guitarist for the band Attack Cat measured the city’s livability by connecting with a local indie label that releases cassettes. “The fact that there...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh: May 3-5
Cinco de Mayo! May the Fourth be with you! There are plenty of reasons to celebrate this weekend. Here are five fun events going on around town. May the Fourth Be With You at the Symphony On Saturday, May 4, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra presents “Music of Star Wars.” The...
Death Cab for Cutie and Postal Service hit ‘Such Great Heights’
Two staple 2000s indie bands are on an epic anniversary tour, and Pittsburgh concertgoers were lucky to see it Thursday night at the Petersen Events Center in Oakland. Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service have a few things in common. First, they both released landmark albums in 2003...
Mary J. Blige enlists Taraji P. Henson, Marsai Martin and more for women’s summit in New York
LOS ANGELES — Mary J. Blige is bringing her mission to empower women beyond her music to her hometown — with the help of the singer’s superstar friends. Taraji P. Henson, Tiffany Haddish and Jill Scott and other stars and experts will join Blige for her Strength of a Woman...
Young Rising Sons’ Andy Tongren on ‘(Un)Happy Hour,’ silver linings and singlesVideo
After a session spent writing songs in Los Angeles, the members of Young Rising Sons decided to go to a bar and grab some drinks. Their arrival, just one minute after happy hour ended, ultimately led to a song — “(Un)Happy Hour,” their latest single — with the concepts and...
Duane Eddy, twangy guitar hero of early rock, dead at age 86
NEW YORK — Duane Eddy, a pioneering guitar hero whose reverberating electric sound on instrumentals such as “Rebel Rouser” and “Peter Gunn” helped put the twang in early rock ‘n’ roll and influenced George Harrison, Bruce Springsteen and countless other musicians, has died at 86. Eddy died of cancer Tuesday...
The Decemberists’ Colin Meloy on double album, love song … and DokkenVideo
Colin Meloy, the frontman for the Decemberists, laughed when he was informed of a band listed under the influences header on the group’s Wikipedia page. Listed among contemporaries like The Postal Service, Death Cab for Cutie, The Shins and Modest Mouse, one group stuck out: Dokken, a 1980s glam metal...
Patty Griffin, Micky Dolenz, Paula Cole highlight Allegheny County Summer Concert Series
A two-time Grammy winner, the last surviving member of The Monkees and a singer whose song became ubiquitous with a 1990s TV show are some of the biggest names in this year’s Allegheny County Summer Concert Series, announced Wednesday. The concert series, with shows at South Park Amphitheater and Hartwood...
Pittsburgh’s JFilm Festival to kick off with documentary on pianist John BaylessVideo
A documentary opening this year’s Pittsburgh JFilm Festival chronicles a brilliant musician’s triumph over adversity. “Left Alone Rhapsody: The Musical Memoir of Pianist John Bayless” is a documentary about the world-renowned pianist and composer who suffered a stroke at 54 that caused the loss of the use of his dominant...
Jason McGerr, Death Cab for Cutie drummer, talks tour ahead of Pittsburgh show
Indie staples Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service are coming to Pittsburgh. On Thursday, the two acts will bring the tour celebrating the 20th anniversaries of their seminal records — “Transatlanticism” and “Give Up,” respectively — to the Petersen Events Center in Oakland. The groups are linked by...
Metal veterans Slipknot marks 25th anniversary of debut record with tour including Pittsburgh stopVideo
Heavy metal titans Slipknot will mark the 25th anniversary of their self-titled debut album with a tour, including a stop this summer in Pittsburgh. The masked metal band will play the Pavilion at Star Lake in Burgettstown on Aug. 7. They’ll be joined by Knocked Loose and Orbit Culture. The...
Worth the wait: Bonnie Raitt shines in rescheduled Pittsburgh concert
Fans of Bonnie Raitt were disappointed, and probably more than a bit concerned, when the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer canceled her Pittsburgh concert 11 months ago to undergo surgery. The wait was worth it. Raitt’s rescheduled appearance, a sold-out show Monday at Heinz Hall, showed that, at age...
Latrobe musician will open for his guitar hero at Jergel’s
Brendan Callahan was 12 years old when he sat down as his father and a friend were reminiscing and watching old 1980s rock music videos. “He locked onto ‘Fantasy’ by Aldo Nova, where he uses his guitar at the beginning to shoot a laser and open the door to his...
The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis discuss jazz/punk band ahead of Pittsburgh concert
Brendan Canty, the former drummer for hardcore pioneers Fugazi, jokingly surmised that having a record out before going on tour has proven beneficial for The Messthetics, his current jazz/punk band. “Having people come to the shows that have actually heard the record is not something that I’ve always been good...
Billie Eilish’s world tour includes Pittsburgh stop this fallVideo
With a new album coming out in a few weeks, Billie Eilish announced her world tour, with a stop in Pittsburgh. Eilish, the 22-year-old with multiple Grammy Awards, will play PPG Paints Arena on Oct. 13 on the Hit Me Hard and Soft tour. “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” her...
Tim McGraw draws country music fans to Pittsburgh for ‘Standing Room Only’ tourVideo
Pittsburgh’s country music fans were out in full force Saturday night at PPG Paints Arena — all for 56-year-old singer Tim McGraw’s “Standing Room Only” tour. Sporting a V-neck maroon T-shirt and skinny jeans, McGraw entered from under the stage following a sequence of silhouettes that were projected on the...
They Might Be Giants, Sleep Token, Noah Kahan highlight top Pittsburgh concerts in May
Pittsburgh’s concert season is starting to pick up steam, with the year’s first Pavilion at Star Lake show, which has been been sold out for months. Other highlights include a sold-out three night stand by a quirky alternative rock band, as well as the first arena show for a rising...
Mýa shared the love at August Wilson Center’s ‘Soul Sessions’
Singer Mýa brought nothing but love and positivity to the August Wilson African American Cultural Center on Friday night, and you could feel it all throughout the audience. Performing at the Center as part of its “Soul Sessions” series, she played an ebullient set full of hits, mashups and soulful...
