(indie)rockin steel city?

May 9, 2009 1:30 PM

I just moved to Pittsburgh from Chicago. Where's the live music? Specifically, the indie rock. Back home, I could count on good bands playing regularly at places like the Empty Bottle. Is there an equivalent here? Or do the bands just not come?

Artists I've been listening to a lot lately include: Electrelane, Headlights, Handsome Furs, Stereolab, Belle and Sebastian, Headlights, Camera Obscura (but not their new album...), Castlemusic, Hidden Cameras, Entire Cities.

Where can I find acts like that?

posted by rbs to media & arts (7 comments total)

(oh, and I know that Handsome Furs played the Brillobox, cause I missed that show by 2 days...)
posted by rbs at 1:38 PM on May 9

Well, for indie rock, you should keep an eye on Brillobox, Gooski's, and Lava Lounge. Most listings are in the City Paper under Rock. Excuses, 31st Street Pub, and the Smiling Moose have alot of bands too, but usually more punk or metal.
posted by Raichle at 1:46 PM on May 9

Oh yeah, bigger acts will be at Diesel or Mr. Small's Funhouse. Look for a band called Donora.
posted by Raichle at 1:55 PM on May 9

don't forget the warhol museum. pittsbugh is a great city. have fun!
posted by msconduct at 2:06 PM on May 9

Here are the summer concert schedules for the Arts Festival and the county summer concert series in the 'burgh. Not too many indie bands of the type that you're looking for but they are free and outside. The City Paper has concert listings as does WYEP, the local independent public music station and the Post-Gazette. Although the Post-Gazette doesn't seem to get the whole internets thing as their concert listings are not actual links. I'm more of an alt-country/no depression fan, a genre that gets a fair number of concerts here in the 'burgh but I've had friends complain that the indie music scene here is pretty limited. YMMV. Tellingly, the list of genres to search on in the City Paper concert listings doesn't even have "indie" as a category.
posted by octothorpe at 7:34 PM on May 9

Thanks, y'all.
posted by rbs at 8:09 PM on May 9

The big shows will be at Mr. Smalls. The good shows will be at Garfield Artworks, although it looks like Manny is doing more and more shows elsewhere.
posted by ludwig_van at 10:59 AM on May 10