Apples in Stereo
[02.12.2007]
Assembly of Dust
[02.04.2007]
The Hackensaw Boys
[01.27.2007]
Paul Luc
[01.20.2007]
Local Honey / Slim Cessna
[01.13.2007]
Bob Seger
[12.14.2006]
Skinks / Rahim / Transcontinental Booze Hounds
[11.25.2006]
The Big Sleep
[11.18.2006]
Local Honey / The Izzys
[11.10.2006]
Cloud Cult
[11.07.2006]
Grand Buffet / Magnolia Electric Co
[10.31.2006]
Norman Nardini
[10.28.2006]
Wilco
[10.20.2006]
Wilco
[10.18.2006]
Kid Congo Powers
[10.12.2006]
Dave Alvin
[09.23.2006]
Wolfmother
[09.22.2006]
Mountain Goats
[09.20.2006]
World Party
[08.27.2006]
Gil Mantera's Party Dream
[08.16.2006]
Whiskey Daredevils / Local Honey
[08.11.2006]
The Silver Jews
[07.28.2006]
The Bottle Rockets / Marah
[07.27.2006]
Slim Cessna's Auto Club
[07.15.2006]
Alejandro Escovedo
[07.10.2006]
Cat Power
[07.09.2006]
Life In Bed / The Transcontinental Booze Hounds
[07.07.2006]
Violent Femmes
[07.01.2006]
Guitar Zack Wiesinger / Pittsburgh Pirates Loss # 54
[06.30.2006]
The Black Crowes \ Robert Randolph \ The Drive-By Truckers
[06.25.2006]
Pearl Jam
[06.23.2006]
The Octopus Project \ Black Moth Super Rainbow \ Amoeba Knievel
[06.19.2006]
The Bottle Rockets
[06.14.2006]
Govt.
Mule / Local Honey / Wil E. Tri
[06.08.2006]
Tehran Iran
[06.03.2006]
Astronautalis
[05.25.2006]
Grand Buffet / Cobalt Black
[05.19.2006]
Phil
Boyd w/Manny Theiner & Weird Paul / The Codetalkers feat. Col. Bruce
Hampton
[05.15.2006]
The
Four Seasons Boys
[05.11.2006]
The
Supersuckers
[05.02.2006]
The Breakup Society
[04.28.2006]
The Four Seasons Boys / The
Gris Gris
[04.19.2006]
Rhett Miller & The Believers
[04.14.2006]
Good Brother Earl
[04.08.2006]
Slim Cessna's Auto Club
[04.03.2006]
"Guitar" Zack Wiesinger
[03.25.2006]
The Minus 5 / The Silos
[03.24.2006]
The Mendoza Line / Great Lake Swimmers
[03.12.2006]
Dave Alvin
[03.10.2006]
Apollo Sunshine
[03.07.2006]
Lyle Lovett / John Hiatt / Joe Ely
/ Guy Clark
[02.14.2006]
Marah
[02.12.2006]
Marah / Slim Cessna's Auto
Club
[11.12.2005]
Ted Leo + Pharmacists / Sharon
Jones and the Dap-Kings
[11.08.2005]
The National
[11.02.2005]
Modey Lemon
[10.07.2005]
Gang of Four
[10.04.2005]
Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers
[09.24.2005]
Thunderbirds Are Now!
[09.22.2005]
The Walkmen
[09.17.05]
Circle
[09.15.05]
Akron/Family, Great Lake Swimmers
[09.05.05]
Los Lobos
[08.21.05]
Grand Buffet, Magnolia Electric
Co.
[08.20.05]
Joe Ely
[08.19.05]
Solomon Burke
[08.14.05]
Billie Joe Shaver
[08.11.05]
Robert
Randolph & The Family Band
[08.07.05]
Oneida
[08.06.05]
Richard
Buckner
[07.13.05]
NYC Road Trip
[07.08.05]
Stars
[06.23.05]
Aimee
Mann
[06.19.05]
Bobbie
"Blue" Bland, Michael Penn, Erin McKeown, OPEK, The Mavens
[06.18.05]
The
Holmes Brothers
[06.15.05]
Drive-By
Truckers, Deep Purple
[06.11.05]
Los
Lonely Boys, Martin Sexton
[06.10.05]
Marah
[06.08.05]
Brant Bjork & The Bros.
[06.03.05]
Railroad
Earth
[05.20.05]
Andrew
Bird
[05.17.05]
Ryan
Adams & The Cardinals
[05.13.05]
Rosavelt
[05.12.05]
Green
Day
[04.23.05]
The
Shins
[04.15.05]
Bonnie
"Prince" Billy and Matt Sweeney
[04.14.05]
The
Beakup Society, Whiskey Daredevils
[03.25.05]
Apollo
Sunshine
[03.12.05]
From The Jayhawks: Gary Louris
and Mark Olson
[03.11.05]
Clem Snide, Archer Prewitt
[03.07.05]
Norman
Nardini
[03.04.05]
The SPUDS, Norman Nardini
[02.18.05]
The Comas
[02.15.05]
Tarbox Ramblers
[02.12.05]
Black Tie Revue
[01.28.05]
Elvismas, Shade
[01.08.2005]
Chalk Outline Party, Comrad
[12.18.2004]
One Star Hotel
[12.10.2004]
Ted Leo + Pharmacists
[12.03.2004]
Thanksgiving Eve / The Italian
Club / Blairsville, Pa
Sue Foley
[11.20.2004]
The Whiskey Daredevils
[11.19.2004]
The Arcade Fire, The Cynics
[11.15.2004]
Steelers v. Patriots
[10.31.2004]
Mike Watt
[10.21.2004]
Magnolia Electric
Co.
[10.14.2004]
The Mendoza
Line
[10.09.2004]
The Black Keys
[10.07.2004]
The Secret Machines
[10.06.2004]
The Fiery
Furnaces, Charles Bissell (The Wrens)
[09.23.2004] |
Gov't Mule / Local Honey / Wil E. Tri & The Bluescasters
Three Rivers Arts Fest / Lava Lounge / Sloppy Joe's Cafe
06.08.2006 - Pittsburgh, PA
 A beautiful night for being out on the bike, I headed down to the Three Rivers Arts Fest to catch Gov't Mule. This year they have changed up the stage configuration and now all shows are on a makeshift stage set up in the more open area of the park towards the fountain. Down here with the family earlier in the week, I had noticed the lack of policing around the area and now tonight, I'll call it the O'Connor hands-off policy, this development has turned Point State Park into the parking lot of a Dead show. Coming off the Fort Duquesne Bridge, first thing I saw was a huge line at the port-a-johns followed by folks openly carrying beers, drunken crazies, and plenty of weed smoking out in the open. My kind of crowd.
Except that I forgot my usual carry along cooler, so I hung out for a number of songs and quickly got bored with the Mule. Sure, I know Warren Haynes and his band are well-regarded jam-banders and the large crowd was into it but I wasn't feeling it and I got bored people watching so I headed out and rode up the 15% grade of Sycamore Street to Mt. Washington. On my shitty bike it's a miracle to make it up without walking and my usual inspiration is in knowing that Lance Armstrong did it like 15 times in his win of the Thrift Drug Classic circuit race back in '92. Once up the mountain I was able to catch the last few Mule songs from an overlook while I watched tourists marvel at the view. From up there the closer "Soulshine" sounded pretty rocking.
It was a short hop over to Sloppy Joe's Cafe to catch Wil E. Tri & The Bluescasters. I got there a little early and being my first time at this joint I hung and the bar and tried to figure out the clientele. You had a few old guys but what stood out was this savvy black dude with a beautiful girl at his side that just kind of stared into space the whole time and never uttered a word or acknowledged any one else. Then there was this local, and by local I mean Mt. Washington mover and shaker, that had his own cell phone outlet and was bragging about all the "business" he's doing. And of course there were a pair of yinzer chicks complaining about idiot boyfriends.
Wil E. played in the adjacent room and had a bunch of older blues fans crowded in the tiny space. I think he plays here every week and it was apparent some of the folks attend regularly. There was this one young guy that was getting all worked up, goofy dancing, totally oblivious that he looked a real tool, but was enjoying himself nonetheless. No problem with that. I could tell some of the guys in the bar side were enjoying his antics.
Wil E. Try is a master harp player and he seemed to be having a good time. A quintessential bar band.
I rode down the darkened back streets to the South Side and thought I'd stop into Red & Irene's for my annual beer there but was told they were just about to close.
At the Lave Lounge I had a short conversation with Dave who had covered me the night I forgot my wallet at Slim Cessna. Looks like they will be opening for someone at the 31st later this summer.
Local Honey took the stage and to say I was impressed with how good they sounded is an understatement. Hugh has been talking them up recently and Wifey and I saw a short set of songs at Penn Brewery a few months back but the setting was a little depressing. Here they were in full rock mode. I'd say their first five songs were as good as any bands I'd seen this past year. I was left wondering how I'd let them under my radar for so long. It wouldn't hurt to polish up their set as it lagged a bit through the midway section but the overall feel of their brand of county rock is positive and could go places with a little work.
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