Category: Pictorial

Words and photos: Abigail McNatt

Following the release of their debut album, Nothing Happens in 2019, Wallows hit the road to celebrate their album’s success. On February 26th, the tour came to Mr. Smalls Theatre, just on the outskirts of Pittsburgh. As an opener, they brought along Penelope Isles from the UK. 
Penelope Isles could be described as Indie pop, but with a more mellow and chill vibe thrown in. For an opener, I noticed a lot of people in the audience singing along to every word. That’s not something you see too often with opening bands. The audience was singing along as well as jamming as Penelope Isles incorporated their jam sequences to their songs which were a lot of fun and entertaining to watch! I really loved seeing Lily Wolter, the lead vocalist, and the energy and passion she put into her craft. Isles was the perfect opening act to bring in the crowd for the headliner.
Wallows came on about a half-hour later. The show was completely sold out and the venue was packed. The crowd went wild as soon as frontman, Dylan Minnette, came out on stage. They started with “Do Not Wait”, the closing song on their album, Nothing Happens. Throughout their set, they played a multitude of songs from the album such as “Scrawny”, “I’m Full”, and “Sidelines”. For a chill indie band, they really bring the heat to their performances. They have a sound that is smooth but also high energy. I noticed during one of their more high energy ones, a few people tried to crowd surf.. which did not last long. As I made my way through the crowd, I saw the awe in the audience member’s eyes as they all sang along to every word. Another one of their popular songs, which made the setlist, was “Sun Tan“, which has extreme summer vibes all throughout, which was a breath of fresh air with all the rain and low temperatures outside. They ended the night with an encore of their most popular songs, both off of the new album; “Treacherous Doctor” and “Are You Bored Yet?”. In “Are You Bored Yet?”, there is a feature from Clairo, which the audience sang in full, and the band just listened. Such a cool moment. They ended the night with a bang, surely leaving the crowd completely satisfied and already yearning for another show. 
I’d never seen Wallows but I highly enjoyed their performance. They were extremely fun to watch on stage and they really enjoy what they do and the music they play. 
Catch them on one of the remaining dates of the Nothing Happens Tour this year.

Photos and Review by Tess Casto

Duo band The Blue Stones and opener JJ Wilde brought a memorable performance at the Thunderbird Cafe in Pittsburgh. The energy being brought to the crowd was nothing short of spectacular. The love is shown to both band to the audience and vice versa was appropriate for such an occasion on Valentine’s Day date. 

JJ Wilde who has been active on the scene for over a few years brought nothing but an emotional performance. The set may have only been nine songs, but it was long enough to take me on an unforgettable journey through the eyes and vocals of a young woman trying to figure out life. The intensity in her singing clearly showed the honesty behind the lyrics. I’ve seen this promising individual three times now. She proves time and time again that she is capable of maintaining her authenticity. She is a down to earth individual who isn’t afraid to wear her heart on her sleeve. All of her written work and songs demonstrate this vulnerable asset well. Her songs touch upon the basis of mental health, the highs, and lows that come with life, and so much more. During “Funeral For A Lover”, she momentarily spoke of the meaning behind the song. Essentially, it shares the message of talking about mental health openly. That the stigma surrounding one struggling with wellness within should cease. As an individual who suffers from depression and anxiety, it hit home. To have an artist acknowledge the topic and bring awareness is a beautiful thing. If you have yet to check out JJ Wilde, I highly suggest you doing so. She’s an artist who deserves nothing but success.

JJ had the set bar high for the night, so The Blue Stones had to follow up with something indelible. Without a second thought, the duo had done just that. Though only compromised of two people, their execution was filled with momentum, which flourished and carried throughout. For a few brief pauses, Tarek and Justin thanked the fans and audience who came to support them. That made this concert so much more personal. Seeing smaller artists reminds you that every purchase made supports them to keep living their dreams. 

So, by now you should have heard somewhere on Pittsburgh media how S & T Bank has become the newest outfit to acquire the naming rights to the outdoor amphitheater in Burgettstown, PA. What you may have missed is what that means to S & T customers and employees that may make you rethink your banking choices.

On Sat., Jan. 4th Live Nation and S & T Bank hosted a press event at Cinemark Robinson Theater to announce that the amphitheater, formerly known as KeyBank, or Post Gazette, or Coca Cola, but always lovingly called Star Lake by ‘Burghers, is now S & T Music Park. A lot of changes are in the early planning stages but nothing has a specific timeline on it (and yes I asked about the screens and that is a top priority to look at). What music lovers can count on are some perks if they do any banking with S & T.

The Uniontown, PA-based bank announced that customers and employees will have access to pre-sale tickets with no fees (and we all know those fees can certainly add up), as well as entry into the S & T Entertainment Lounge, free lawn chairs, and more to come. The ability to rack up a $30-$40 fee is certainly an incentive to open an account along with treating customers like VIP’s.

Lots of shows have been announced already including Jimmy Buffet, Rascall Flatts, Lady Antebellum, Ozzy with Marilyn Manson, Maroon 5 with Meghan Trainor, Journey and The Pretenders, Chicago and Rick Springfield, The Black Crowes, The Doobie Brothers, and KISS with David Lee Roth. We expect much more to come with the total of shows a few more than last year’s events. (check out www.livenationentertainment.com)

In addition, S & T Bank will be launching a financial literacy program where students from local schools will learn about the music business from Live Nation employees, financial planning, investing for the future, and how to start and run a business. In addition, when possible, the students will also get to attend a show.

The press event itself was a great event with all the Live Nation and S & T bigwigs in attendance. A KISS impersonator duo took pictures with everyone and played a two-song set dressed as Ace and Gene. Attendees were treated with concessions, some S & T swag, and a private viewing of Jumanji 2.

See you at the opener for the season June 11 with Ozzy Osbourne and Marilyn Manson

All photos AWeldingphoto  © 2020

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It has been five years since Mexican acoustic rock duo Gabriela y Rodrigo put out new music. It’s not that they have been lazy by any means, but they did spend three years working on their new release METTAVOLUTION. Mettavolution brings together Rod and Gab’s passionate interest in Buddhism, the history of human evolution and the liberation of the potential we have as a species; all expressed through the medium of two acoustic guitars. Conceived and composed in their studio in Ixtapa on the Mexican Pacific Coast, then road-tested in South America and the USA in 2017, before more fine-tuning and further tweaks on their Australian tour of 2018, a long list of new material has been distilled down to six new Rodrigo y Gabriela compositions and one audacious, jaw-dropping cover version ( http://www.rodgab.com/ ).

Returning to Pittsburgh and recognizing that they rarely play here, Rodrigo and Gabriela treated the audience to an amazing guitar performance using minimal lighting and the intimacy that the Roxian Theater provides which made for an outstanding evening. Playing roughly fourteen songs, the duo went through some of their earlier work but concentrated mainly on their new album. For many, it was a chance to witness classics such as “Diablo Roja” and also hear the new cover of Pink Floyd’s “Echoes”.

Rodrigo came out with an electric guitar at first to accompany Gabriela on “Krotona Days” from their new LP which added a twist to their usual acoustic enrichments. As they rolled through their set it was hard not to step back and be astonished at their true brilliance. A true highlight of the evening was hearing them speak about their music and it’s meaning to the crowd and of course Gabriela’s solo.

The two have come a long way from their early days playing in Dublin after they became frustrated with the music scene in Mexico City. Now an international sensation due to their originals and seemingly impossible cover of Metallica’s “Orion” and a soul bending rendition of Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven”, the two have become as ‘musician’s musicians’. It would be an absolute travesty if they did not return to Pittsburgh and blow our minds again.

Openers, Ida Mae, are a married couple out of England via Nashville. Their style of American roots music was refreshing. Lead singer and guitarist Chris Turpin plays his dobro or his 100-year-old acoustic like it was another appendage. But its the soul that comes from his fingertips that is truly astonishing. Chris’ wife, Stephanie Jean, sings mainly in accompaniment and uses percussion to round out their authentic sound. Check out their debut album, Chasing Lights recorded at Peter Gabriel’s Real World studio in Bath, England. https://idamaemusic.com/