A lavender haze: Businesses anticipate Taylor Swift windfall that could ‘blow Kenny Chesney out of the water’
Tia Muscarella is already leaning into the Taylor Swift phenomenon, and The Eras Tour is still a week away from its Pittsburgh stop. The North Shore Tavern, where Muscarella is the bar manager, has been featuring the specialty cocktail Lavender Haze, a concoction of butterfly pea blossom gin laced with...
Taylor Swift expert? This Carnegie Mellon class tests your knowledge
Taylor Swift isn’t just a music and pop culture icon. She’s also the subject of an elective three-credit course at Carnegie Mellon University. “Taylor Swift Through the Eras” was a spring semester offering through CMU’s Student College (StuCo), which allows students to develop and teach academic courses on topics of...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: June 9-11
We have made it to the weekend. Here are some ways to spend it. Garden party The Mattress Factory’s annual garden party, a signature-themed fundraiser for the North Side museum, is from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday. The Trash Bash Garden Party is described as “an evening of...
Hip-hop event brings history, culture to Pitt
The University of Pittsburgh is teaming up with 1HoodMedia to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the emergence of hip-hop. “This Thing We Call Hip-Hop” will take place at the Black Box Theater at 460 Melwood Ave., in Oakland. Artists and academics will come together in a discussion, hosted by Chantel...
Head of Carnegie Mellon’s music school leaving for job at Northwestern
Jonathan Bailey Holland, the head of Carnegie Mellon University’s school of music for less than a year, is leaving to accept the music deanship at Northwestern University. He begins his new job Sept. 1. Holland’s appointment to the Henry and Leigh Bienen School of Music was announced on Northwestern’s website....
Taylor Swift’s early show in Western Pa. recalled by Pittsburgh singer
Pop superstar Taylor Swift has played all over Western Pennsylvania, dating back to her first show here in 2006. She’s played a minor-league baseball stadium, a banquet hall in Burgettstown, Star Lake and Mellon Arena. And, of course, there’s been her four previous shows at Heinz Field, with two more...
Dead & Company fans rant on social media about traffic at Star Lake
Dead & Company returned to the Pittsburgh area on Monday night for a show at the Pavilion at Star Lake near Burgettstown. Although fans enjoyed the band’s fifth trip to the area since 2016, they did not enjoy the traffic. In a post with almost 300 comments on the Dead...
In harmony: Jewish women connect through music
On a recent evening, a group of Jewish women gathered at Chabad of Squirrel Hill to rehearse for an upcoming performance. It didn’t take the women long to learn the finale they will perform at “The Sound of Jewish Music” at 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday at the Katz Performing Arts...
Donnie Iris cancels Youngstown show as he receives cancer treatment
Donnie Iris has canceled an upcoming appearance with REO Speedwagon because of ongoing health issues. Western Pennsylvania’s “King Cool” was scheduled to appear June 21 at the Foundation Amphitheater in Youngstown. A Facebook post says that Iris has been receiving treatment for cancer and, while his prognosis is good, he...
Seven Wonders has SummerSounds organizer wondering if it’s biggest crowd yetVideo
The music of Fleetwood Mac has something that can appeal to almost anyone. From strident rock anthems to poignant break-up songs, anyone who can appreciate a well-constructed tune can find something to like. That — plus a beautiful Friday evening in Greensburg — may help explain why the Fleetwood Mac...
Fleetwood Mac tribute kicks off SummerSounds concert seasonVideo
A group of singer-songwriters from Rochester, N.Y., found a niche when they came together for a one-off performance of Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours” album. “It was very popular, so we did it a few more times, and then we turned it into a real band,” said Teagan Ward, who sings the...
Guns N’ Roses coming to PNC Park in AugustVideo
Welcome to the jungle, or rather PNC Park. Guns N’ Roses, one of the biggest bands of the late ’80s, has announced a show at Pittsburgh’s PNC Park for Friday, Aug. 18. The opening act for the show is The Pretenders. Tickets will be available starting today via the band’s...
Bruce Cockburn bringing 50-year musical treasure trove to The PalaceVideo
Through more than 50 years of making music, Bruce Cockburn has generally been identified as a Canadian singer/songwriter. The designation is no longer strictly accurate. In 2022, Cockburn became a dual Canadian-United States citizen. “I got a green card because I married an American, and I married an American because...
Taylor Swift, Paramore, Hardy among top concerts to see around Pittsburgh in June
June looks to be a crowded month of shows in Pittsburgh, headlined by a pair of Taylor Swift shows at Acrisure Stadium. Here’s a look at the most notable shows coming to the area in June: June’s top shows June 11: Paramore, Bloc Party, Genesis Owusu at PPG Paints Arena...
WDVE’s Memorial Day 500 countdown kicks off Pittsburgh’s summer
It might not be summer on the calendar, but Pittsburgh’s summer has officially begun. The Memorial Day 500 music countdown launched Friday morning on WDVE-FM 102.5 — a Pittsburgh tradition that was rekindled in 2019, after more than a two-decade hiatus. “We resurrected the 500 when we were celebrating our...
Johnny Cash tribute kicks off Hempfield Park summer concert series
Fans of the legendary Man in Black are in for a treat, as The Cash Out Show takes the stage at 7 p.m. Saturday in Hempfield Park. The tribute to Johnny Cash will kick off the “Amp Up Your Summer” concert series hosted by Hempfield Township Parks & Recreation. The...
Beyonce remembers ‘My beloved queen’: Musicians, fans pay tribute to Tina Turner
Tina Turner, superstar singer and icon, died Wednesday at her home in Switzerland. She was 83. Musicians, celebrities and fans quickly took to social media to post their thoughts and memories of the singer. Singer Beyonce Knowles-Carter wrote on her website, “My beloved queen. I love you endlessly. I’m so...
Tina Turner reveled in ‘normal’ life in her Swiss home
KUESNACHT, Switzerland — In her adoptive country, Tina Turner was more than just a swivel-hipped rock, R&B and pop superstar. She unapologetically moved to Switzerland for its discretion and calm, carrying her very public persona into a very private country. She relished her life as a Swiss citizen — and...
Celebrity Care Fest taking a pause this year
A popular summer concert held in Pine Township since 2014 to raise money for charity will be taking a pause this year, but there are plans to resume the event in 2024, according to organizers. The Celebrity Care Fest, which has been hosted and produced by HM3 Partners since 2015,...
Tina Turner, unstoppable superstar whose hits included ‘What’s Love Got to Do With It,’ dead at 83
NEW YORK — Tina Turner, the unstoppable singer and stage performer who teamed with husband Ike Turner for a dynamic run of hit records and live shows in the 1960s and ’70s and survived her horrifying marriage to triumph in middle age with the chart-topping “What’s Love Got to Do...
Long musical road comes to an end for O’Hara’s Craig Cannon
O’Hara musician Craig Cannon is moving into his next, possibly best, chapter. The man synonymous with music across the Lower Allegheny Valley is hanging up his vocal hat, or at least the daily grind of it all. Cannon, who retired as choral director in 2013 from the Fox Chapel Area...
Lenny Kravitz, Billie Eilish set for Global Citizen’s ‘Power Our Planet’ show
Music superstars Lenny Kravitz, Billie Eilish and H.E.R. will team with advocacy nonprofit Global Citizen for a free concert in front of the Eiffel Tower designed to convince world leaders to take further action against climate change. “Power Our Planet: Live in Paris” is set for June 22 to coincide...
John Mellencamp rolls through his hits in Pittsburgh performance
John Mellencamp has spent much of his career using songs to document his outlook on America, the past and the present, both good and bad. Monday night’s sold-out show at the Benedum Center in Pittsburgh was a celebration of those hits, with a few newer songs that didn’t seem out...
Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen says he was attacked outside Florida hotel in March
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen says he was blindsided during an attack on him outside a South Florida hotel following a concert earlier this year. “I heard a couple of steps and then I just saw this (flash) and the next thing I knew was I...
Foo Fighters introduce Josh Freese as new drummer for upcoming tourVideo
LOS ANGELES — The Foo Fighters introduced Josh Freese as the drummer for their upcoming tour and performed new music on Sunday during a free livestream event. The virtual show took place more than a year after the death of the group’s longtime drummer, Taylor Hawkins. Foo Fighters frontman Dave...