Pittsburgh local music spotlight: Mike Urick and the ModelairesVideo
Mike Urick feels like is he is carrying on the legacy of his grandfather, Mike Cilli, with his band, Mike Urick and the Modelaires. “He was a great musician and an amazing person,” Urick said. “We were really close when I was young and I grew up listening to his...
Piano Day Pittsburgh tickles the ivories, and listeners’ imaginations, with pair of 10th anniversary events
No, that was not your imagination. Plenty of Parkway East motorists, even through the Squirrel Hill Tunnel, were surprised to see a flatbed truck rolling by with someone playing a piano on top. “I probably won’t do that again, because I did not feel as safe as maybe I expected...
Top September concerts in Pittsburgh: Hardy, Twenty One Pilots, Marilyn Manson
One of the nation’s top pop-punk festivals returns to the Pittsburgh region, as do a hard-rocking country star and alt pop rockers. Here’s a look at the top shows coming to the area in September: Top concerts Sept. 5: Hardy, Koe Wetzel, Stephen Wilson Jr., Sikarus at the Pavilion at...
Q&A: Guitarist Daniel Donato says Pittsburgh feels like home for his Cosmic Country soundVideo
To celebrate the release of his new album last Friday, Daniel Donato played three Nashville shows in one day — with a solo pop-up at a record store, his band’s headlining show at Ryman Auditorium and a late-night covers set at a honky-tonk around the corner. “Three is the cosmic...
Baldwin marching band plays Pink Floyd for halftime show
To encourage participation in the Baldwin High School Marching Band, director Zack George pitched highlights to a group of students age 13 or so. “I talked about the season and what we do, and I tried to hit all the main points of recruitment: Here are the trips that we...
Who killed the video star? Charting the past and future of the MTV VMAsVideo
On Aug. 1, 1981, MTV — which, at the time, stood for Music Television — burst forth onto screens, heralded by the melodies of The Buggles’ “Video Killed the Radio Star.” That choice alone was an act of aggression, staking the station’s claim as the cutting-edge music media purveyor. Three...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh on Labor Day weekend: Aug. 29-Sept. 1
The unofficial end of summer? Psh! The temperatures are still high, the sun is still out and there’s still plenty to do before we call it a day on the most beloved season. Enjoy your long weekend with these events. Acrisure Stadium Kickoff and Rib Festival It’s time for football...
Indie pop rocker Sombr’s rise highlighted by Pittsburgh venue changesVideo
Indie pop rocker Sombr should be feeling pretty happy right about now. The 20-year-old, whose real name is Shane Boose, released his debut album, “I Barely Know Her,” on Friday, and his concerts keep getting bigger. Sombr’s Late Nights & Young Romance tour will hit Pittsburgh on Oct. 5 —...
Review: Gary Clark Jr. plays powerhouse guitar at Stage AE
It’s always great to hear some no-frills great music played live, and Gary Clark Jr. delivered just that on Tuesday night at Stage AE on the North Shore. Not only is Clark a terrific singer, songwriter and guitarist, he’s a Grammy Award winner in two different genres, showing a versatility...
2 new bands on bill for 5th annual Rock Against Cancer in Pine
There’s a new lineup and a new venue this year for a cancer survivor’s annual fundraiser for a Pittsburgh-based support organization. The fifth annual Rock Against Cancer, benefiting Cancer Bridges, will be held Sept. 20 at the new Friends of Pine Amphitheater at Pine Community Park in Pine. It was...
Katy Perry testifies that she’s seeking ‘justice’ at trial over $15M mansion
LOS ANGELES — A lawyer asked Katy Perry on Tuesday whether she stood to gain money or anything else from a trial in a long legal fight over a California mansion. “Justice” was the one-word answer from the singing superstar, former “American Idol” judge and recent astronaut, part of an...
Pittsburgh’s Punchline returns with new album, old friends and Four Chord festival appearanceVideo
Punchline singer/guitarist Steve Soboslai believes the Pittsburgh-based band is in a very good place right now. In the past few years, they put together a podcast series providing an exhaustive look at the pop-punk band’s history, marked the 20th anniversary of their “Action” album with a huge hometown show and...
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are engaged
It’s a love story and, baby, she said yes: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are engaged, they announced Tuesday. In a five-photo joint post on Instagram, the superstar singer and football player revealed their engagement, the fairytale culmination of a courtship that for two years has thrilled and fascinated millions...
Rapper Playboi Carti bringing Antagonist tour to PittsburghVideo
Rapper Playboi Carti is bringing his Antagonist tour to Pittsburgh later this fall. Carti, whose “Music” album hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts earlier this year, will headline PPG Paints Arena on Nov. 1. He’ll be joined on the tour by his Opium labelmates Ken Carson, Destroy Lonely, Homixide...
Jerry Cantrell talks new solo album, Pittsburgh memories, not messing up the Ozzy Osbourne showVideo
Guitarist Jerry Cantrell may be heavily associated with the Seattle music scene from his work with the seminal grunge band Alice in Chains. But Cantrell, now 59, spent around a year in the Pittsburgh region — Finleyville in Washington County, to be precise — while in eighth grade during the...
Pittsburgh local music spotlight: Essential MachineVideo
The indie rock trio Essential Machine is more than a band — it’s a family, comprised of a husband (RJ), wife (Karen) and their son (Robert). “The benefits are that when we go on tour, we don’t have to leave behind our families. We are lucky that we all get...
Sister Hazel guitarist Drew Copeland on Pittsburgh-born song, the band’s longevity and moreVideo
Sister Hazel rhythm guitarist Drew Copeland can easily recall what he ate — if not the restaurant’s name — the day he wrote “Roll On Bye” with singer Ken Block more than a decade ago. “I was just telling a story this past weekend. We had the Hazelnut Hang in...
Brent Hinds, former Mastodon singer-guitarist, dies at 51 in motorcycle crash
Brent Hinds, the former singer-guitarist for the Grammy-winning heavy metal band Mastodon, has died in a motorcycle accident in Atlanta, the band and authorities said. He was 51. Hinds was killed while riding a Harley-Davidson motorcycle late Wednesday night when the driver of a BMW SUV failed to yield while...
‘Purple Rain’ co-star Apollonia sues Prince’s estate over the trademark of her name
MINNEAPOLIS — Be careful if Prince bestowed a stage name on you because his estate might claim that it owns the rights — even some 40 years later. That is the crux of a lawsuit filed Tuesday by Patty A. Kotero, better known as Apollonia, co-star of Prince’s 1984 movie...
Linkin Park enters new era with singer Emily Armstrong on From Zero tour stop in PittsburghVideo
If “the hardest part of ending is starting again” — a line from Linkin Park’s 2010 song “Waiting for the End” — then their most difficult moments may be in the past. The potential ending of the band came with the death of lead singer Chester Bennington by suicide in...
Ukrainian folk group Kommuna Lux brings music, humanitarian mission to PittsburghVideo
With their country under attack by Russia, the musicians in Ukrainian folk band Kommuna Lux have a two-fold mission. First, they put on shows blending Balkan swing with klezmer music and traditional Ukrainian folk to help preserve the music and culture of their homeland. And second, those shows help raise...
Pittsburgh musician Bill Toms on writing a more personal album, playing a new venueVideo
Guitarist Bill Toms has played at dozens of venues throughout the Pittsburgh region over his almost 40 years as a professional musician. But on Saturday, he’ll add a new one to the list with a show at Crafthouse in Whitehall. Bill Toms & Hard Rain will headline a show which...
Vinny Palese finds his footing as a folk drifter amid Pittsburgh’s music scene
Singer-songwriter Vinny Palese considers himself a drifter in the Pittsburgh music scene. “Just blow in, cause a scene and then get out,” he said. His debut album, “Doesn’t Play Well With Others,” dropped in May after several EPs and singles over the past few years. ”It has a very at-home...
The end is near: Megadeth to release final album and embark on farewell tour
NEW YORK — Call it a symphony for dissolution. American thrash metal giants Megadeth have announced their forthcoming album will be their last. They will also embark on a farewell tour in 2026. “There’s so many musicians that have come to the end of their career, whether accidental or intentional,”...
Rapper Sean Kingston to be sentenced for $1 million fraud scheme in South Florida
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Rapper Sean Kingston is scheduled to be sentenced in South Florida on Friday after being convicted of a $1 million fraud scheme. Kingston, whose legal name is Kisean Paul Anderson, and his mother, Janice Eleanor Turner, were each convicted by a federal jury in March of...
