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Introduction
The Nomination Process
The Venues
Listener Memories
WYEP & Pittsburgh 250
WYEP's Pittsburgh Performance Project Launch Party

Introduction


What lessons can we learn from a concert venue?

Stanley Facade Night
The Stanley Theater façade at night.
Image courtesy Ed Traversari

Concert marquees say a lot about a community. They can shout a band’s name to the passers-by in backlit letters, advertising a potentially life-changing musical experience. Those same signs also reflect a community’s cultural identity, pride, and economic prosperity…or the neglect and hard times afflicting the surrounding neighborhood.

WYEP’s Pittsburgh Performance Project invites you to reflect on twelve legendary live music venues, all located in a city celebrating 250 years of cultural heritage. Many are long gone. Some are just shells of what they once were. And a few continue to rock. All were vital in providing generations of Pittsburghers a place to escape dance, sing along, flirt, cut loose, and most importantly, be with others who enjoy live music.

The Nomination Process


Rippel Talking Heads
Talking Heads at Pittsburgh Playhouse.
Image courtesy Larry Rippel

It’s important to remember that this list focuses on the Top 12 most culturally significant Pittsburgh venues, not just the most popular. Consideration was given to a venue’s impact on its neighborhood or the Pittsburgh music scene as a whole. Significant cultural moments or noteworthy performances were also taken into account.

With over 100 live music venues in Pittsburgh in the last decade alone, how was it possible to pick just 12? WYEP listeners began the process by submitting nominations and recollections of their favorite places for concerts. A panel of local music experts representing a wide range of musical genres and generations narrowed the nominations down to several dozen, and along with WYEP’s staff and board of directors, voted for the final twelve most culturally significant venues.

The panel was comprised of the following individuals:

Tommy Amoeba
Jan Beatty
Dr. Nathan Davis
Dr. Nelson Harrison
Don Hollowood
Howard Kozy
Jessica Lee
Bruce Mountjoy
Tony Norman
Dave Panasiuk
Michelle Panasiuk
Phat Man Dee
Ed Traversari
Rosemary Welsh
Jill West

It was a difficult process (and a highly charged discussion at times), but generated much conversation and many fond memories about live music in Pittsburgh. Ultimately, WYEP’s Pittsburgh Performance Project aims to engage you in the process, too. This interactive exhibit and on-air series is meant to get you thinking, discussing, and remembering. Enjoy this examination of a city and its culture.