Pittsburgh local music spotlight: Jessica Bella Band
Jessica Bella Band will be headlining a charity show to benefit Noelle DeFazio, a young mother from Bellevue battling stage 4 cancer. The Rock for Hope: A Benefit for Noelle show is set for April 23 at 565 in Bellevue and includes performances from Aliquid Novi, Ben Getkin, Jim Skiff,...
The Linda Lindas display youthful energy in sold-out Pittsburgh concertVideo
There aren’t many national bands that can promise the opportunity to buy shirts and records directly from their mothers at the merchandise booth. The Linda Lindas, however, can and did that Saturday night in an energetic, sold-out show at Spirit Hall in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood. Touring in support of their...
Everclear’s Art Alexakis on 30th anniversary of ‘Sparkle and Fade’ and more ahead of Pittsburgh showVideo
Although Everclear frontman Art Alexakis shot to fame with the song “Santa Monica,” he now lives a little further away in Pasadena, Calif. But he’d been out of his house for almost four months after it sustained smoke and water damage during the southern California wildfires earlier this year. The...
Wiz Khalifa’s ‘Kush + Orange Juice’ changed his game. 15 years later, a sequel recaptures the spiritVideo
NEW YORK — Who understood the cool kids better than Wiz Khalifa? In 2010, the easygoing Pittsburgh rapper released his breakout mixtape “Kush + Orange Juice,” crafting the ideal soundtrack for stylish stoners — breezy songs about girls and weed broadcast through his generously enunciated flow. For those paying attention,...
Former Pittsburgh drumming stalwart Damon Che returning with new band YesnessVideo
It’s been more than 15 years since Damon Che, the inventive drummer for defunct Pittsburgh instrumental pioneers Don Caballero, played a show in the area. That will change April 26 when Yesness, his new instrumental duo with El Ten Eleven bassist Kristian Dunn, headlines a show at Spirit Lodge in...
Alice Cooper, Judas Priest team up for Star Lake concert this fallVideo
A pair of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame hard rockers are coming to the Pittsburgh area this fall. Shock rocker Alice Cooper and British metal icons Judas Priest will co-headline a show Oct. 1 at the Pavilion at Star Lake in Burgettstown, with Corrosion of Conformity opening the show....
Ani DiFranco strums and sings through her trailblazing career at Roxian Theatre show
Singer-songwriter-musician-author-activist Ani DiFranco has been forging her own path since the age of 19, and after 35 years and 20 albums, she still looks like she loves getting onstage and sharing her music with the world. That was evident at her sold-out show Sunday night at the Roxian Theatre in...
Pittsburgh local music spotlight: Dereos Roads & JumbledVideo
The first album collaboration between Pittsburgh’s Dereos Roads and Baltimore’s Jumbled is chock full of samples — all from dollar bin records — from Jackie Cain and Herb Alpert to The Band and Donovan. “I like how this is a true collaboration. For most of the previous projects, when I...
Kelsea Ballerini’s PPG Paints show was worth the wait
Country star Kelsea Ballerini postponed her February show in Pittsburgh after contracting the flu, to the disappointment of fans. After the rescheduled show at PPG Paints Arena on Saturday night, those patient fans left grinning — and the most infectious thing was the joy that she spread from the stage....
Spiritbox rides the wave of ‘Tsunami Sea’ in sold-out Pittsburgh concertVideo
Spiritbox’s Tsunami Sea tour proved to be aptly named, as the Canadian band unleashed wave after wave of crushing guitar and heavy-hitting metalcore Saturday night. The Grammy-nominated band played their first headline show in Pittsburgh, selling out the UPMC Events Center in Moon, on the strength of their “Tsunami Sea”...
Country rocker Cory Marks returns to Pittsburgh for 1st time since getting engaged hereVideo
Canadian country rocker Cory Marks has never played a show in Pittsburgh, but he’s looking forward to a return visit to the area later this month for sentimental reasons. “Pittsburgh’s got a piece of my heart, for sure,” Marks said in a recent phone call. That’s because Marks got engaged...
John Ondrasik of Five For Fighting discusses songs highlighting Ukraine, Israel and moreVideo
Five For Fighting (aka John Ondrasik) had a pair of platinum records in the early 2000s, on the strength of songs like “100 Years” and “Superman (It’s Not Easy),” with the latter becoming an anthem after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and earning him a spot on the lineup for...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: April 11-13
It’s a great weekend to love animals, music and the city we live in. Celebrate Pittsburgh — and yourself! — with these five events around town rocking all weekend long. 412 Day Block Party 412 Food Rescue will be celebrating 10 years of supporting the community on Saturday, 4/12. Included...
The 2025 Academy of Country Music Awards are coming up. Here’s who’s nominated and how to watch
NEW YORK — Excuse me, you look like you might want to see the next generation of country music acts clean up at the 2025 Academy of Country Music Awards. Fans of the genre have long committed Ella Langley and Riley Green’s throwback duet, “You Look Like You Love Me”...
Michigan Rattlers’ Graham Young discusses ‘Waving From A Sea’ album ahead of Pittsburgh showVideo
Back in 2016, Rolling Stone tabbed Michigan Rattlers as one of 10 new country artists to watch, alongside Luke Combs and others. Nine years later, frontman Graham Young certainly doesn’t consider the band country now, if he ever did at all. “No, definitely not. You know, it’s just funny. I...
Clem Burke, multifaceted drummer of iconic rock group Blondie, has diedVideo
Clem Burke, whose versatile drumming propelled the iconic rock group Blondie during its decades performing everything from new-wave punk to disco-infused tunes, has died. He was 70. The band said in a statement on its website Monday that he died from cancer but no additional details were provided. “Clem was...
The Linda Lindas growing up from viral moment, headlining sold-out Pittsburgh showVideo
When The Linda Lindas played in Pittsburgh in September as part of Green Day’s show at PNC Park, drummer Mila de la Garza sported a T-shirt covered with Campbell’s Soup cans. It didn’t come from the nearby Andy Warhol Museum though. “The venue was right next to the museum, too,”...
Pittsburgh local music spotlight: BBGuns
The indie hip-hop duo BBGuns will be launching a residency at Bottlerocket Social Hall in Pittsburgh’s Allentown later this month. “It’s going to be a genre-bending variety show full of big beats, stories, jokes, friends new and old, as well as be a laboratory for new material,” said vocalist JP...
Disturbed was on fire at celebratory PPG Paints Arena show
For a few strange years in the late 1990s and early 2000s, a novel phenomenon hung around the Billboard charts. It was called “nu metal,” a dark infusion of alt-rock, hip-hop and heavy metal that made stars of acts like Limp Bizkit and Korn, at least for a while. Many...
Blues guitarist Chris Cain recalls memorable night in Pittsburgh with April 13 show on the horizonVideo
Blues guitarist Chris Cain can vividly recall a memorable night back in the early 1990s at The Decade, an old club in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood. Actually what happened after the show proved to be unforgettable on his end. “At The Decade, they had a good bar,” Cain recalled in a...
Here are 5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: April 4-6
With rain in the forecast, it may be tempting to stay inside and scroll on your phone all weekend. But why do that when there are heaps of (indoor) events to enjoy instead? Here’s a few ideas. Steel City Con If you’re a big pop culture fan, there’s nowhere better...
Bruce Springsteen to release 7 albums of unreleased songs, ‘Tracks ll: The Lost Albums’
NEW YORK — Bruce Springsteen knows what Bruce Springsteen fans want. And that’s more Bruce Springsteen. The Boss will release seven new studio albums, titled “Tracks II: The Lost Albums,” on June 27. It will contain material written and re-recorded between 1983 and 2018. The news arrived Thursday morning via...
Podcast: What’s really driving up concert tickets?
Spring is here, bringing the start of concert season to Pittsburgh. With ticket prices soaring, affordability has become a key topic among concertgoers. Ticket prices are influenced by various factors, such as free-market resale and the dynamic pricing strategies used by major ticket vendors like Ticketmaster. TribLive reporter and reviewer...
Samantha Crain eschews ‘lone wolf’ mindset with ‘Gumshoe’ album, preps for Pittsburgh show
For almost two decades, Samantha Crain has toured more or less as a solo singer-songwriter, and her upcoming album “Gumshoe” explores steps in a different direction. “It’s led me to be a pretty independent person and also somebody that embodies that lone wolf mentality. The thing that I have started...
Free community band festival will take place in Murrysville
The 19th annual Three Rivers Community Band Festival will be held 2-5 p.m. Saturday at Franklin Regional Senior High School in Murrysville. The East Winds Symphonic Band, which founded the festival and is comprised of players from Pittsburgh and its eastern suburbs, will be joined by the Community Band South...