Hill District native hosts jazz jams, nurtures young talent in Pittsburgh
Back in the day, the Hill District’s Crawford Grill was the place to be — especially for jazz musicians trying to make their mark on Pittsburgh’s music scene. Today, one Hill District saxophonist is keeping that tradition alive, nurturing city jazz musicians one gig at a time. “I’m from the...
Pittsburgh Opera’s 2023-24 season mixes new works, returning favorites
Pittsburgh Opera’s 2023-24 season includes a recent work that “needs to be performed here in our city,” according to Chris Cox, the company’s director of marketing and communications. The opera is “The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson,” the last of six productions slated for the opera’s 85th season. “It tells...
Javanese music comes to Greensburg, courtesy of Pitt ensemble
The music of the Sundanese people of the Indonesian island of Java is coming to Greensburg, courtesy of the University Gamelan of the University of Pittsburgh. The ensemble will play a free concert at 4 p.m. Sunday in the Seton Hill University Performing Arts Center, 100 Harrison Ave. A gamelan...
Nipsey Hussle’s killer gets 60 years to life in prisonVideo
LOS ANGELES — A Los Angeles judge on Wednesday sentenced the man convicted of gunning down rapper Nipsey Hussle to 60 years to life in prison. Superior Court Judge H. Clay Jacke II handed down the of-delayed sentence to Eric R. Holder Jr., 33, who was found guilty of the...
Could R. Kelly essentially get a ‘life’ prison sentence?
CHICAGO — Superstar-turned-felon R. Kelly wouldn’t be eligible for release until 2066, a year shy of his 100th birthday, if a federal judge accepts prosecutors’ recommendations at his sentencing hearing Thursday in his hometown of Chicago. Kelly, 56, will be sentenced on his convictions from last year in Chicago of...
Bruce Springsteen adds 2nd show for Pittsburgh fans
The Boss’s trip back to the ’Burgh just got longer. On Wednesday, LiveNation announced Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band have added a second show to their 2023 tour stop in Pittsburgh. They will perform at PPG Paints Arena on Sept. 12 and 14. Springsteen last performed here in...
Guns N’ Roses announce 2023 world tour
Guns N’ Roses is returning to the road for the first time since 2021 in a major way this year. The veteran band’s 2023 tour of stadiums, festivals and arenas, which will crisscross the globe between June and October, was announced Tuesday. The tour, with original members Axl Rose, guitarist...
Westmoreland young artists winners host recital
Winners in the Westmoreland Symphony’s Young Artist Competition hosted a Feb. 12 recital at the Seton Hill University’s Performing Arts Center in Greensburg. On Feb. 5, finalists from across the region competed for cash prizes and a chance to perform at the recital. Performers included: • Level I: A.J. Schmidt,...
Tour celebrates Talking Heads’ ‘Remain in Light’ album 40 years onVideo
When Talking Heads went into the studio to record their 1980 album, “Remain in Light,” they were on the verge of breaking up. They came out with a renewed commitment to the band, via a collection of songs that remade their sound and ended up at No. 39 on Rolling...
Tickets going fast for The Westmoreland’s jazz series concertsVideo
Tickets went fast for the first date in the Winter and Spring Jazz Concert Series at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art. Events manager Darrah Resnick expects the remaining three shows to sell out just as quickly. “It’s probably good to get tickets now,” she said. Sam Brooks, a Pittsburgh-based...
U2 returning to stage in Las Vegas, minus one of quartet
NEW YORK — U2 is returning to the concert stage later this year for the first time since 2019 but without one of the original quartet, as drummer Larry Mullen Jr. is on the injured list. The band offered a hint about its reemergence on the biggest stage possible —...
Pregnant Rihanna soars in Super Bowl halftime performanceVideo
Rihanna was above it all. She began and ended the Super Bowl 57 halftime show hovering high above the field at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. The performance delivered on fan expectations but it included a major surprise — the singer is pregnant with her second child. She wore...
Westmoreland Symphony’s ‘Scottish Fantasy’ promises romantic date nightVideo
Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra’s “Scottish Fantasy” would make for a great date night, promises artistic director Daniel Meyer. Meyer will conduct as the orchestra takes the stage at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at The Palace Theatre in Greensburg. “I conceived this program as a preamble to Valentine’s Day,” Meyer said. “It’s all...
Duran Duran’s latest tour to stop in Pittsburgh
Hungry for some Duran Duran? Pittsburghers are in luck — the group is headed to town. The British band, which rose to fame in the 1980s, will bring its Future Past tour to PPG Paints Arena on Sept. 9. “It’s remarkable to me that as a band, we are still...
Tickets for Beyoncé’s 1st concert of world tour sell out
STOCKHOLM — Tickets for the first concert of Beyoncé’s upcoming “Renaissance” world tour sold out Tuesday, and concert management group Live Nation said a second concert in Stockholm was added because of the high demand. The tour starts in Sweden in May and is scheduled to include stops in London,...
The Grammys ended in controversy, again. Here’s what to know
NEW YORK — A night in music brimming with shocking upsets, historic wins, tributes for artists like the late rapper Takeoff and hip-hop’s 50th anniversary, the 65th Grammys were back in full swing Sunday. Once again, Beyoncé was in the running for the top honor. Once again, the show ended...
Grammys rebound from covid years, reach 12.4 million viewers
NEW YORK — An estimated 12.4 million people tuned in to watch stars Harry Styles, Lizzo and Bad Bunny perform at the Grammy Awards, along with a tribute to 50 years of rap history. That’s up from the pandemic-affected broadcasts of the last two years, the Nielsen company said on...
A rap tribute for the ages, Beyoncé triumph at the GrammysVideo
As he accepted an innovator’s award named for him, Dr. Dre mused about what he had in common with many of the people he saw from the Grammy Awards stage. “Where would a lot of people in here be without hip-hop?” the renowned rapper, producer and entrepreneur said. The 2023...
Beyoncé breaks Grammys record, is now most-decorated artistVideo
LOS ANGELES — Beyoncé stands alone on her Grammy throne: With her fourth win Sunday night, she has become the most decorated artist in the show’s history surpassing the 26-year-old record once held by the late Hungarian-British conductor Georg Solti. “I’m trying not to be too emotional,” the superstar said...
Grammys could make history with Beyoncé, Bad Bunny wins
LOS ANGELES — Will Beyoncé emerge from the Grammy Awards as its most decorated artist ever? That’s one of the main storylines heading into Sunday’s ceremony, where the superstar is the leading nominee and needs four wins to make history. Several of music’s biggest names, including Beyoncé, are in the...
Q&A: Shania Twain talks rebuilding confidence with new album
LOS ANGELES — Shania Twain felt the need on her new album to empower herself the same way she has uplifted listeners with hits like “Man! I Feel Like a Woman” and “She’s Not Just a Pretty Face.” So she set aside all feelings of self consciousness — appearing braless...
Why is R&B music more explicit than ever? It’s complicated.
NEW YORK — Tank was nervous after sending his manager a preview of “When We” — he’d never released a song that explicit. “He’s like, ‘You’re crazy, but it’s jammin’!’” the R&B singer recalled. “It ended up being my biggest record ever.” Released in 2017, the seductive chorus of “when...
Exuberant Springsteen, E Street Band launch 1st tour in 6 years
TAMPA, Fla. — It’s been six years since Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band embarked on a major tour. Judging by the first show Wednesday night in Tampa, Florida, you’d never know it. The Boss and his band served notice they are back. At just under three hours, it...
Handicapping the 14 new Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees
Oh, to be in the room where it happens. The nominating room for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Those debates must be fiery. Should we recognize hard rockers Iron Maiden and Rage Against the Machine again and again? Is Willie Nelson really rock ‘n’ roll? We need more...
Southern Fried Rock Show set to hit the stage in Freeport
There aren’t that many music events in the area dedicated to promoting local bands that play original music. But thanks to the Southern Fried Rock Show, four area country rock bands playing mostly their own songs will be showcased Saturday night at the Freeport Event Center. This year marks the...
