Hartwood Acres, Hampton PA, USA September 3, 2017

Review by Lisa Sikon

Allegheny County Parks

Labor Day typically marks the end of the summer for most people and also the end of the summer concert series at Allegheny County Parks. There was a lot of great music this summer in the parks and it ended with a great show. This charity event benefits the children of Allegheny County and is just a fun event to attend. I have attended the past 3 years and have been impressed with the quality of music played at this festival. There are food trucks and Hop Farm Brewing on site, but many people bring large spreads to enjoy the show.

I can’t say enough good things about warm up bands, I always seem to find a band that surprises me with their talent. Tonight was no exception. The Velcro Shoes are a local indie rock Pittsburgh band that had a great sound with influences from the 90’s and more. They are definitely a band with a strong rock and some punk influence that makes you want to get out and dance. Lead vocalist and bass player, Eric Emerson, puts on a great performance and plays the bass with a unique style, more like a guitar than a bass. Rounding out the rest of the band are Bill Krowinski, on guitar, Mike Slobidan on guitar and keys and keeping the beat is Garrett Bogden. They released their second album this year, ‘All That You Are’, on August 12th. The vinyl is a translucent cobalt blue with some fantastic tracks on it. My favorites are ‘Better Before It Gets Worse’, ‘Backyard’, which they performed at the show, and the title song ‘All That You Are’. I would recommend picking up a copy and give it a spin. This is a band with a familiar yet unique sound that I am going to look for in the Pittsburgh area. I highly recommend taking in a show and picking up the vinyl.

Next up were The Buckledowns, I caught them earlier in the year at the WYEP summer music festival. This is a high energy funk, soul, and rock band led by the powerhouse vocals of Kiki Brown. Ernie Francestine and Jon Henderson are on guitar, Jonathan Guldon plays the drums, Damien De Troia is on bass and Dave Filonuk round out the band on the keys. One of my favorite songs is ‘Soldier’, I loved the way Kiki performs this song, so much emotion in her singing and performance. They also released their first album earlier in the summer, ‘Hard Truths’. You can purchase it on their website, or better yet, catch them on a live performance. This is definitely a band you want to see live, the energy of this group is amazing.

Andre Costello and the Cool Minors

Andre Costello and the Cool Minors were next in the lineup. This is one of my favorite local bands and I love their sound. Andre Costello is the lead vocalist and has a unique sound with a lot of emotion in his singing, Matthew Fiorillo is on bass, Nick Chartiers on drums and rounding out the band is James Hart on the keyboards. During their live shows, this band always puts out a great show, adding a lot of musical extras to the music. They did play my favorite song, ‘She Took My Hand’, and ended with another one of my favorites- “NSA”, which usually has the audience singing along with the callback lyrics.

Rusted Root has been a Pittsburgh favorite since the band formed here in 1990. They have been playing the Allegheny County Music Festival for 10 years now, and they sure bring out the crowd both die-hard and new fans. They have seven albums, the most recent being Movement. The music is a mix of rock with heavy influences of African, Native American and Latin American music. The band consists of three of the original members, Michael Glabicki on lead vocals and guitar, Liz Berlin on percussion and backing vocals, Patrick Norman on bass and backing vocals, and some new members, Cory Caruso on percussion and Dirk Miller on guitar and vocals. Their bestselling album, ‘When I Woke’, has a lot of my favorites on it but I enjoy all of their music. They definitely did their usual performance last night, which is always phenomenal.

Bill Deasy of the Gathering Field is responsible for choosing the bands for the Music Festival as well as the Summer Concert series. The lineup this year was diverse as well as entertaining. This is definitely a great thing for Allegheny County and all shows are free to the public. This year had a mix of jazz, Indie Rock, Funk, Southern Rock, and Rockabilly/Blues, along with the Pittsburgh Opera, Pittsburgh Ballet and the Pittsburgh Symphony. There is definitely something for everyone and each show seems to bring out a crowd. There is so much free music in Pittsburgh and something for everyone. Just to name a few that I have attended this year: The Millvalle Music Festival, The Pittsburgh Arts Festival, Deutchtown Music festival, R.A.N.T, The Pittsburgh Three Rivers Regatta, Pittsburgh Jazz Festival,and AbbeyFest. Support local music, for the small price of admission, you get great music and a great night (or day) out! Support local artists, they are the backbone of the music industry and some of the most hardworking and passionate people I have ever met

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Tierinii Jackson of Southern Avenue

Southern Avenue with Nightgown at Club Cafe in Pittsburgh Brings Funk, Jazz, Gospel, Blues and Soul

Review and photos by Lisa Sikon

Monday evening was unseasonably warm for February in Pittsburgh, but the evening was going to get a bit hotter with some Memphis blues and some funk/jazz coming from the show at Club Cafe on the Southside. Southern Avenue was visiting with a local Pittsburgh band, Nightgown. The crowd was a bit light, but those who were in attendance were enthusiastic.

Nightgown started off the evening with their mix of jazz/funk/R&B music. They are a local Pittsburgh band who are relatively new on the scene. The members of the band met on Craigslist and formed the band based mostly on shared musical interests.  Cea Carlesi has a soothing voice and a stage presence that fits perfectly with the music. It’s easy to see the 70’s influence in their music as well as a strong jazz background. Steve Conover has a solid background on guitar, with Evan Ellis on drums and Anthony Pandolph on bass.  They haven’t released an album yet, but did mention they were working on getting into the recording studio. The band did mention a few songs available for a free download, so check it out at Nightgown Bandcamp.

Southern Avenue

I found the music to be upbeat and entertaining. One of my favorite songs of the evening was ‘Forever’, which featured an incredible drum solo with the bass rounding out the music.  Jeremy Powell from Southern Avenue joined them onstage to play the keyboard for a couple of songs, including the above mentioned song.  ‘Ribcage Xylophone’ was interesting and performed with a amazing guitar solo. They finished the set off with ‘2 AM’, with a strong performance and pleasing the crowd.  This is definitely a band to look out for in the future to see how they develop.

Southern Avenue is from Memphis, Tennessee and have a new self titled album out. They say good things come in small packages, and this is true for lead singer Tierinii Jackson. She came out and owned the stage with her powerful voice and large stage presence. The band roots are in soul, gospel and definitely the blues.  Ori Naftaly added the guitar solos to the music that added depth to Tierinii’s powerful voice.  I definitely was moved by ‘It’s Gonna Be Alright’,  It was was performed beautifully, with an energetic guitar solo that was in perfect match to  Tierinii’s voice.  Jeremy Powell played the keyboards as if possessed, definitely getting into the music and adding intensity and emotion to the performance. Tikyra Jackson, Tiernii’s sister, added to the  heartbeat to the music with her drum performance that was perfectly synchronized with the bass . The band did a rousing cover of ‘Chain of Fools’, the song was perfectly suited to their multiple talents. They slowed down the tempo a bit with ‘Peace Will Come’, added a bit of dialogue about how appropriate the song is in these times.

Southern Avenue

They then slipped into some good old fashioned blues with solos from Ori and Jeremy that were fantastic.  The last song of the evening was ‘Don’t Give Up’, an upbeat song that was performed at a frantic pace that was a fitting final song.  They often engaged the crowd to sing along and even though the crowd was small this evening, they did join in and participate, as the music called out for it.   I did pick up the CD and there is added depth to their music with horns and additional vocals.  I definitely recommend getting the CD, every song is exceptional.  The band did mention they were coming back to Pittsburgh later in the year (Summer Sounds- Greensburg, PA Aug. 04, 2017), I would definitely recommend catching them on the return visit for some great music.  This band clicks together and you can see the collaboration when they play, they just perform together in sync.

They say good things come in small packages, and this is true for lead singer Tierinii Jackson.

Tiernii’s powerful voice accompanied by the solos from Ori, Jeremy and Tikyra make this band wonderful to listen and watch perform live.

Southern Avenue

Club Cafe is a great venue, it features a lot of out of town acts in an intimate setting.  Set in the South Side of Pittsburgh;  it’s a great place to go and have a bite to eat and drink while listening to live music.  Pittsburgh does have an active music scene, with many different sized venues as well as a strong local musicians.  Support local and small bands, as they are the backbone of the music industry.  There is nothing like a live performance and it’s great to get out and experience music this way.

Southern Avenue Website | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Instagram | Google+ | Amazon

Dazzletine is a glam rock, alternative band with a style and sound that is all their own. They were performing tonight to release their new album, ‘Organomy,’ which took four years to produce. The band also has a previous EP, but this is the first full length album.  Dazzletine is a band that has fun on stage and transfers that energy to the crowd. I have to admit I liked watching Dan Koshute perform on stage. His performance is fun to watch as he is constantly moving on the stage, singing and playing with frenzy that I found entertaining. Nick Fleury adds more vocals and guitar with Darren Diederich on the bass and Nick Charters on drums. They played a number of songs off of the album, as would be expected at a record release. They extended the songs with additional riffs sprinkled in at different areas. Dazzletine isn’t a band that you can pigeon hole into any one category, they have something for everyone in the audience. The lyrics are strong and the music has a captivating beat, many in the crowd were dancing and nodding along with the music.  From start to finish, they put on a high energy performance, with Dan often coming out to the front of the stage to play. Dan Koshute played solo for the last song, captivating the audience with his stellar performance.  This is definitely a band you would want to see play live, visually the bit of glam and the solid guitar playing will reel you in and you will find yourself dancing to the music. Take a listen to ‘Organomy,’ it’s a solid album that will find a home in your collection.

Pet Clinic is a garage, alternative rock band that has been a favorite in Pittsburgh for a number of years In May, they released their second album, ‘No Face’ and haven’t slowed down since. They recorded the entire album in their Troy Hill home and I have say, it’s a killer album. The band went on a West Coast tour to promote the album shortly after their local record release show.  Local public radio station, WYEP, also named it in the top 5 local albums of the year. David Bubenheim is the lead guitarist and vocalist; he has a unique vocal range. He can go from a soft purr to the distinctive scream that he uses in so many of Pet Clinic’s songs. John Henderson plays the keyboard and synth with such intensity, his long hair flowing over his face most of the time. He is mesmerizing to watch as he adds the synthesized sounds that add so much depth to the music. Mike Arendt’s solid guitar playing infuses a richness into each song. Ian Edwards plays the bass like no one I have ever seen, adding the driving beat  as well as some bass solos. He is in perfect sync with drummer Kenny Nelson to form the heartbeat of the band. Tonight they played a mix of songs from ‘No Face’ and their first album, ‘The Dust That Made the Fire That Made the Light.’  ‘Stop Wasting My Precious Time’ is a favorite of mine and they played that as well as some new material, which had a frantic pace with a bit of punk added in.  One of the things that I love about Pet Clinic’s music is the small surprises in the songs, there always seems to be a shift or added riff that makes the music so enjoyable. The crowd was obviously into the music, many dancing to the driving beat. They ended the set with ‘Fox the Dog’, this performance was without question, one of the best that I have seen from this band. If you get a chance, be sure to see them perform live and also pick up a copy of ‘No Face’, you will no doubt be listening to it a lot as it is a great album.

Side Eye is a surf/garage girl band that is relatively new to the Pittsburgh area. This trio has Chelsey Rumbaugh on the guitar and vocals, Marie Mashyna on bass and vocals and Carrie Battle on drums and vocals. They opened the evening with their mix of slow surf and gritty garage band sound. They have two songs out on and EP, ‘Bittersweet’ and ‘It’s Not Easy’. This evening they played an interesting cover of the Pixies, ‘Here Comes Your Man’.  This band had an easy going stage presence and the crowd was definitely enjoying the sound. I’ll be on the lookout for some future material by this girl group.

Cattivo has been around for 20 years and is located in the Lawrenceville section of the city. It hosts a number of bands and has stages both upstairs and downstairs, sometimes having bands both at the same time. It’s a friendly atmosphere and they support the local band scene in Pittsburgh. It’s important that local bands have a community that comes out to listen. All bands start out as a local band somewhere, support your local bands, go out and see them, buy their merchandise and albums, give them a voice for they are the backbone of the music industry.

RELATED LINKS:

• Dazzletime at Facebook
• Dazzletime at BandCamp
• Pet Clinic
• The Side Eyes at Facebook
• Cattivo in Pittsburgh

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