It seems the Pittsburgh 250 PR hoopla isn't limited to the Golden Triangle -- it's even managed to reach the smoky little blues club Moondogs. The long-running Blawnox club is celebrating the city's age, paradoxically, by promoting its youth: In June, Moondogs hosts a Battle of the Bands geared toward relative youngsters -- competing groups in the 25 available slots must each have two members under the age of 21. For more information and to register, email [email protected] by the April 30 deadline. The venue will also be featuring local music marathons on weekends in June.
While I don't usually find band battles and local music marathons all that tempting, I would definitely be suckered in by T-shirts that said "Moondogs 250" or even better, "Imagine What You Can Do ... in Blawnox."
And if you're Imagining What You Can Do In Greentree this weekend or What You Can Do On 4/20 -- you know, besides that -- you might want to swing by the The Pittsburgh Record & CD Convention. The free event, now in its 12th year, features national and local dealers (er, music dealers), live performances and more. Members of local metal lords Icarus Witch and garage rockers The Cynics will be on hand to hustle their latest releases (both quite good, actually). The convention runs from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sun., April 20, at the Radisson Hotel Greentree. Call 412-331-5021 for more info.
Things seem to be heating up for Lawrenceville's Blackberry Studios, which has recently signed a licensing agreement with Los Angeles-based Fundamental Music, a company that provides music for television, film and other media. Blackberry's owner, Eric Graf of Boxstep, previously had a song placed through Fundamental on the CBS show The Ghost Whisperer. Can it be long before Ludlow is featured on the WB? Well ... yeah it can.
Speaking of media, Blackberry hip-hop protégé M-Sceazy is premiering a new music video for his track "So Clean." The rapper is celebrating on Sat., April 26, with a performance at Ludic, a newish joint in the Strip, performing with guests Izzo and M.A.R.
