Is the Pittsburgh music scene going gray? At smaller shows in the city, the average age of crowds seems to be creeping upward, with some indie and punk events attracting an almost exclusively over-21 audience. Why isn’t the scene being infused with new teen-age blood from the suburbs?
Well, kids still consider it a pain to drive into Pittsburgh, and their parents still believe the city is a scary place. But most importantly, they already have all-ages shows to attend — often closer and better publicized on the Internet.
Since the turn of the decade, regional producers promoting local and even national acts (those appealing to Gen-Y youth, at least) have risen dramatically: There’s Project Mayhem, Concert Chaos, Pittshows, Pittpunk, New Noise, Baden Beatdown, Faded Industry, Evening Cure, F-23, Play’r, Backstage, and several others that target the younger set. Spread out among new, often suburban venues — such as the Corner Pocket in Blairsville, Charleroi’s Club Octane, Sun Jin’s in Grove City and the Meridian Vets in Butler — they attract kids under the media radar.
The rising tide of Christian alternative and screamo is being served, too, by such places as Mount Lebanon’s Southminster Presbyterian Church and the North Side’s Bethel Christian (a.k.a. “The School”).
Justin Nixon, of Washington, Pa., post-rockers In the Wake of Giants notes the packed shows in the basement of Citizens Library in his hometown. “You see the same kids all the time at these shows. Then, when the same bands play at Mr. Small‘s, their audience follows them out there. But they have no idea about any other [city] venues.”
Mr. Small’s does seem the exception to the “big, bad city” rule, but it’s more than just being across the river in Millvale. It’s the Internet, explains promoter Josh Bakaitus of Bridgeport Entertainment, and he should know: He can get hundreds to show up at the Lawrenceville Moose at the drop of a handbill.
“I just think many [suburban] kids aren’t interested enough to commit to being active city concert-goers,” he says. “Since Laga shut down, everyone’s pretty much checking Mr. Small’s site. Any show I do there, ticket sales are huge, even though I do the same amount of ads as for other shows. Their Web site makes them amazingly successful.”
How can other urban venues woo the kids? Do what Small’s does, Bakaitus says: Get an attractive, interactive Web site; maintain an active MySpace presence; sell tickets online and at suburban outlets, etc. Nixon adds one more thing: City bands and promoters should travel to outlying regions and establish a physical presence. “It’s all about word of mouth,” he says. “Talk to kids individually. Strike up a conversation with them one at a time.”
This article appears in Jun 14-20, 2007.
I can relate to this. Our underground rap group, CRAP, has the hardest time finding shows right here in the ‘burgh, other than Basick Sickness’s Hip Hop and Hookah Series. Most of our shows end up in Teen Clubs, fields, and fire halls booked in Lisbon, Oh, East Liverpool, OH, Glassport, PA and around DuBois, PA, drawing around a hundred kids or more each.
And they’re dedicated fans out there because of it. The physical presence is definitely key.
Venues are hard to get into to begin with. And with certain venues seemingly harder and harder for groups and bands to work with, most give up and set up their own thing where space is available. And that doesn’t include city venues, usually.
The revolution WILL NOT BE TELEVISED. If you are looking for a big label, a network or even the City Paper to hand deliver you a scene it will never happen. There is scene all over this city. Every nook and cranny of this city has bands and groups that are home town heros, and they are influencing the kids to pick up a guitar and/or mic. This is truely apparent in the rap/ hip hop comunity. These guys live for thier music and are willing and able to jump on stage at a moments notice.
I lived in differnt areas of this country and have heard people say the same things, “this city sucks” or “no body comes to shows”. It all goes back to the old adage if you can’t make it in your own town you will never survive a national scene. A sussess of an act requires a lot more than good music. It needs Marketing, exposeure, playing every show avaialbe. Making fans on a personal level and building your base one fan at a time.
Flyers and internet are esental tools to this endevore. I guess the quesition in not where is the scene, butare you willing to work enough to deserve the attention of the scene.
I have played in several bands, and have found that once you get out and start playing, one show leads to another, you have got to get out and be involved. Every conversation can leadd to a fan or a gig. It’s a life style, not a hobbie.
So back t the piont, Music happens in the back rooms of the places you don’t know exist, you will not get an personal invintation to the next big thing.
To make a scene bigger requires the support of what exists. The bands or clubs will never be abl to grow to the next level without success at the local level. Music is a business and if the bar doesn’t make money, the band will not coming back anytime soon.
So it all goes back to you need to work at the business end of your band. Find you niche, and knock there socks off, I know I have.
Peace,
Dr.Espling
The Pittsburgh music scene has not gone gray! The band Mindless self indulgence has decided to play their DVD release show at Mr. Smalls Theater! Millvale Pennsylvania is one of the few cities across America that MSI has decided to play a club tour in (let alone the city they picked to celebrate the release of their DVD). Because of this, i have come to the conclusion that no, the Pittsburgh music scene has not gone gray!
While that’s cool that MSI thinks so much of Pittsburgh(and I definitely like me some MSI), we have declines in other scenes. As far as some “underground” stuff goes, KMK/Tech Nine had a joint tour that hit Cleveland, but not Pittsburgh, citing no venues “big enough” to support the bill, as I’ve heard through the grapevine. And this past ICP tour skipped Pittsburgh, even after promising to come by this time around. I can see other acts like Potluck, Marz, Zug Izland, Mushroomhead, and others that should be a shoe in for the fans in this area, for whom there is a certain following, getting countless shows in Cleveland and Columbus, but not Pittsburgh. Some thing’s wrong here. Whether its the clubs or the bookers, something’s not working…
I strongly believe that there needs to be a greater usage of downtown venues. Adults and Kids alike should be absorbing the unique cultural experiences of downtown shows. Once the experience and interaction of these events (small and big) take place, people will contribute to the scene and a snowball effect will occur. REMEMBER: It’s ultimately up to the people of Pittsburgh to put their city on the map! Whether its through making their own music, contacting bands and venues, or just showing up:: EVERYONE MUST DO SOMETHING! All of the downtown theaters and venues(that seem to be attracting an older crowd or dry of people every time i pass by ) should take on after Mr. Smalls Theater and start opening their doors to bands that people of all ages want to see.