Last week, City Paper reported the untimely demise of The World, the mid-sized all-ages concert venue in the Strip District that replaced Rosebud. But, as with all things in the Byzantine world of Pittsburgh's live music venues, all was not as it seemed. Between City Paper press time and publication, things changed.
"We had angel investors come on board" at the last minute, says Joker Productions and The World owner Jon Rinaldo. "I renegotiated with the landlord -- and I had a change of heart. I've never given up on anything, and I didn't want to give up on this."
So it is that, in what is now routine for Pittsburgh concertgoers, a slew of shows that had been moved to venues such as Nick's Fat City came back to The World, which is now hosting all of its scheduled events as originally planned before its brief closure scare. Rinaldo says this reopening (re-un-closing?) isn't temporary and isn't a test period. "As long as we can get through this miserable summer, things will balance themselves off," he says, noting that just the past few concerts -- reggae legend Burning Spear, emo stars Saves the Day -- have done as well as or better than hoped for.
