OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. John Bon Jovi did the Decade on March, 1987 playing a 50 minute set with his friend the manful handful Norman Nardini. Petropoulos mentions spots like The Porch as ways to attract a more formal nightlife crowd. 2013 Pittsburgh Music History Year End Recap, Biggest stories of 2011 -- Pittsburgh Pop, Rock and Rap, Hear the Music of Pittsburgh on the Genre Pages via Spotify, Inaugural Pittsburgh Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame Celebration 01/23/14, Pittsburgh Music History Celebrates Black History Month 2012, Scot Tady of Times Online on Pittsburgh Music History, Thanks to Readers of Pittsburgh Music History, Thanks to the Internet, Pittsburgh's music history plays on, The Beat: Andrew Druckenbrod and Scott Mervis Video on Pittsburgh Music History, Vote for the 2015 Pittsburgh Rock 'N Roll Legends Nominees, Calliope and the Smokey City Folk Festival, Sonny Pugar Memorial Music Smiles Program, Graffiti Showcase and Graffiti Rock Challenge. in Oaklandfor 22 yearswatching theirfavoritePittsburgh bandsand national rock acts. In 1873, the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad (P&LE) was first chartered and in . [12] Twenty-one years later, Mary Schenley gave the city 300 acres in Oakland for a park. Its incarnations since have included a deli, lesbian bar, produce store, and a bar named Cumpies. So it finally hit Dominic that maybe this guy was pretty big, Grushecky said. Despite its reputation as one of Downtowns go-to destinations, Morris eventually encountered financial difficulties and Froggys closed in 2003. Despite the memories of a thriving nightlife, Petropoulos feels Oaklands nightlife should match this new professional student body, along with the professionals at UPMC and Pitt. the place apart with a skillfully played energetic performance on March 20, 1979. Jeff Usleman recalled seeing bands at the Oakland bar and catching the Springsteen cameo while attending Pitt in 1984. Pittsburgh, PA 15219 10 Mom & Pop Restaurants In Pittsburgh That Serve Home Cooked Meals To Die For, If You Grew Up In Pittsburgh, You Definitely Love These 9 Classic Dishes, Facebook/Green Forest Brazilian Churrascaria, 12 stores that anyone who grew up in Pittsburgh remembers. The Electric Banana on Bigelow Boulevard was the smallest of the three Oakland clubs and featured an Andy Warhol-style banana sign above the entrance. Elbo Room Jack London Oakland Petropoulos mentions spots like The Porch as ways to attract a more formal nightlife crowd. google_ad_width=120; Bruce Springsteen played there twice with his good buddy Joe Grushecky. If you're craving Lidia's authentic Italian dishes, you'll have to travel elsewhere. Fantastic place for your amazing night out in Pittsburgh. There shouldnt be any nightlife [in Oakland because] the rents dont allow for that, he said, referencing tight profit margins on cinemas and bars. The Original Oyster House There is a lot of history between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Oakland Raiders dating all the way back to the 1970's. #tbt#PittsburghSteelers #Steelers #N. Where to go? This is a subjective undertaking, much like the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame selections (James Taylor? 1960s, 1970s Pittsburgh Nightlife, Bars, Restaurants, Nightclubs Kinolibrary 178K subscribers 7.6K views 5 years ago From the Kinolibrary Archive Film collections. His shop, The Beehive, which he ran with business partner Steve Zumoff, served as a general hangout. packed, sweaty, and loud with menacing bouncers it was a gritty steel town bar. 6. wanted to sit at one of the few tables, you had to get there early. Elavsky is also bemused that students have the cash for a microbrewed IPA, as well as an Uber to then hit the competition in the North Side, South Side or Lawrenceville, when he couldnt even afford a cab in college. Famous national artists like Aerosmith and Bon Jovi visited the Decade after playing shows at larger venues in the city because of its reputation. I asked him if he would ever consider coming north. What's there now? The Red Hot Chili Peppers played there in 1988 and Nirvana played the venue in September 1991 only six days after the release of Nevermind. The Decade was one of three clubs composing what was referred by some as Oaklands Bermuda Triangle, with locations the Electric Banana and Graffiti rounding out the group. West Oakland has six borders with the Pittsburgh neighborhoods of North Oakland to the northeast, Central Oakland to the southeast, South Oakland to the south and south-southeast, Bluff to the southwest, and the Crawford-Roberts and Terrace Village regions of the Hill District to the west and northwest, respectively. For years, colorful owner Joel Greenfield had a Skull Room in the back filled with cabinets of skull-shaped mugs and other skull-themed oddities. In 1868, Oakland Township, just two years after seceding from Pitt Township, was annexed to the City of Pittsburgh. As a showcase club, Graffiti sought acts from a wide spectrum of genres and young musicians, featuring national acts while still promoting local talent. Oakland developed rapidly following the Great Fire of 1845 in Downtown Pittsburgh, with many people moving out to suburban territory. Johanasen. When he started at Hemingways, Elavsky observed students who would spend five nights a week at the bar. Manor Theater. The Pittsburgh landscape, and its neighborhoods, have certainly changed a lot over the years, with some of our very favorite shops and restaurants closing for good. Papa J Centro's The f**king place was bonkers there were lines around the block, Grushecky said. The Strip District is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States.It is a one-half square mile area of land northeast of the central business district bordered to the north by the Allegheny River and to the south by portions of the Hill District.The Strip District runs between 11th and 33rd Streets and includes four main thoroughfaresRailroad Street/Waterfront Place, Smallman . After google_ad_type="text_image"; There was a bit of a competition between us, where the Electric Banana guys played the Banana and the Decade guys played the Decade. Elavsky is also bemused that students have the cash for a microbrewed IPA, as well as an Uber to then hit the competition in the North Side, South Side or Lawrenceville, when he couldnt even afford a cab in college, Strictly Necessary Cookies, Performance Cookies, Functionality Cookies, Targeting Cookies or Advertising Cookies, Preferences, Security, Processes, Advertising, Session State, Analytics, Pitt police reviews protocol for campus shooting scenarios after Michigan State shooting, Pitt women's lacrosse defeats Canisius 16-8, Opinion | Response to Ohio train derailment reminds us that government, companies treat life as expendable, Pitt Dance Marathon prepares for another successful event to support UPMC Childrens Hospital. Irish Rockers called U2 played the Decade on April 21, 1981. Jam A tip of the hat to eight beloved Pittsburgh restaurants that are gone but not forgotten. I was walking past the bar one night, and there was these two weird-looking dudes all dressed in black. google_color_url="B76401"; Jessica Wasik lives in Pittsburgh where works as a full-time figure skating coach sharing her passion with todays generation of young skaters. This is part two of a series by staff writer Stephen Caruso about how Oaklands businesses and the community have changed since the 1990s for better or worse. It debuted in Pittsburgh back in 2011, serving such delicious dishes as the famous Spoon burger, pork tenderloin, and cod. Look at the pictures Records reveal 1918 influenza's devastating impact on a tiny Pittsburgh community. cut their teeth. My sister was in love with the 2 Brothers from the French Connection group all I can remember is their names were Tom & Dave they were good back then. In late 1978 When Tequila Cowboy is a bar and grill, but its self-proclaimed "revved-up nightlife" makes it more than a viable option for one of Pittsburgh's best nightclubs. Wanting to spend more On a Saturday in October 1978, a crowd of Pitt students, steel mill workers and music enthusiasts packed the corner of Atwood and Sennott streets, jockeying for space in the Decade. Oakland has long been considered Pittsburgh's university center. The place had a cool old feeling to it. After nearly 32 years of Polish platters and live music, this unapologetically no-frills tavern at the end of the Bloomfield Bridge has served its last pierogi. Created by our advertising software OpenX. Other national acts that appeared at the Decade included the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Cindi Lauper, Jimmy Vaughan and the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Albert Collins, Koko Taylor, The Romantics, the Pixies, Johnny Thunders. A group of young inexperienced The Decade is the only bar on the list that has had a book written about it (Gabby Means The Decade.). We come back the next Thursday for our regular gig, and there was Meat Loafs poster up on the wall. Pretty soon the Decade had seven nights a week of great live music, Grushecky said. The Decade, OaklandWas there ever any doubt this legendary Oakland bar at the corner of Atwood and Sennott streets would top the list? The dressing room at the Decade was the freakin kitchen. The bands in the Decade scene were older, more professionally skilled musicians who played in a raw R&B, rock-based style. The plateau is divided into two primarily residential areas which are separated from one another by Bates Street, which runs up a valley from the flood plain to the plateau. Originally opened in 1901, the railroad station is now part of the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation and home to the saloon aptly named after a slang term used for rail workers who maintained railway tracks. 12. Bruce Springsteen also once played there, years after becoming famous. music venue for local artists called the Next Decade. Carlow University and most of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center can be found there. After a decline following the 1970s, Pitts enrollment grew from. It was one night out of more than two decades of a thriving music scene in Oakland that brought in a diverse array artists, such as Bruce Springsteen and Black Flag. google_color_bg="FFFFFF"; As larger He was an older guy, his idea of rock n roll was Dion and the Belmonts. In 1925, work began on what was then the world's tallest educational building, the 42-story Cathedral of Learning. The Electric Banana featured more college students and unrehearsed distortion. section of Pittsburgh on the corner of Atwood and Sennott streets which became Pat Benetar hit Pittsburgh with her best shot on November of that 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Diesel Club Lounge doubles as a DJ mecca and live-music venue, and its still South Sides most virile independent venue. The french Connection from the North hills area (Hampton-Shaler-west view) Some real good Break-Dance battles took place there! The Ramones, David Johansen (aka Buster Poindexter).The Pretenders, Joe David Patlakh and Sera Passerini sit outside Towers, smoking cigarettes and chatting with their friends, which they say is their usual free-time activity. Chiodo retired in 2005 and the bar was razed to make way for a Walgreens and Subway. Photo by Laura Zurowski. google_color_text="333333"; The Cathedral of Learning, the engineering or midsection of the University of Pittsburgh campus, and the Craig Street business district are in North Oakland. After the Boardwalk closed, the barge was towed to Chattanooga, Tenn., where a developers plans to develop a similar Boardwalk operation never materialized. 80s Night Clubs in Downtown on YP.com. To soak up the ricocheting The Decade scored big booking a little-known guitarist out from Austin. In late 1978 Beyond just benefiting the musicians, Graffiti represented a dependable location in Oakland at which to hear talented, rising artists. That was the the best part. Oakland's University of Pittsburgh Medical Center pioneered modern organ transplant surgery (home of Dr. Thomas Starzl). google_color_border="FFFFFF"; Froggys, DowntownFor a quarter of a century beginning in 1978, the gravelly voiced Steve Froggy Morris held court in his Market Square bar and restaurant where celebrities such as Jack Nicholson flocked when they were in town. topped bar. Each section has a unique identity, and offers its own flavor of venues and housing. While Oakland featured other music venues including the Syria Mosque, which housed mostly larger acts the three clubs in the Triangle spanned a similar era and contained much smaller capacity crowds watching less firmly established artists. Panther Hollow Inn, OaklandFor decades, this was one of the only bars within easy walking distance for Carnegie Mellon University students, an important consideration when snow is falling in January. Diner food is just good, and Tom's Diner served some of the best. 6. 22; 2001 on the North Side; 2002 in White Oak; the Disco Factory in Plum Boro; The V.I.P. Grushecky remembers the concert as monumental for the city, as well as Oakland. Nearly anyone can show a film these days, using only a laptop and projector. Graffitis rough, brick-covered, warehouse exterior contrasted with its spacious lounge interior. If youve been around long enough (and this town isnt exactly full of transients), you either know many of them by name or were in some of them yourself back in your younger days when your back wasnt troubling you and you didnt have to get up so early for work. Morris died five years later; the bar space currently is vacant. (412) 261-1717www.muer.com/grand-concourse. By Stephen Caruso / Senior Staff Writer December 1, 2016. La Frontera is a nightclub located in International Blvd Westfield Ave, Oakland CA, United States. Oakland was, at various points, the home of many professional, Oakland is less than 3 miles (4.8km) from, The Ryan Catholic Newman Center: Oratory of St. Philip Neri, Hunt Library (Carnegie Mellon University), This page was last edited on 29 January 2023, at 14:43. Finally, Cinema in the Park is a warm-weather favorite. A group of young inexperienced singer David Johansen on December, 28, 1980. ceiling was low. //-->, Sign in|Recent Site Activity|Report Abuse|Print Page|Powered By Google Sites, Venues from the trash heap of Pittsburgh's History, 2013 Pittsburgh Music History Year End Recap, Biggest stories of 2011 -- Pittsburgh Pop, Rock and Rap, Hear the Music of Pittsburgh on the Genre Pages via Spotify, Inaugural Pittsburgh Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame Celebration 01/23/14, Pittsburgh Music History Celebrates Black History Month 2012, Scot Tady of Times Online on Pittsburgh Music History, Thanks to Readers of Pittsburgh Music History, Thanks to the Internet, Pittsburgh's music history plays on, The Beat: Andrew Druckenbrod and Scott Mervis Video on Pittsburgh Music History, Vote for the 2015 Pittsburgh Rock 'N Roll Legends Nominees, Calliope and the Smokey City Folk Festival, Sonny Pugar Memorial Music Smiles Program, Graffiti Showcase and Graffiti Rock Challenge. Influential bands from the era such as Sonic Youth, the Minutemen, Operation Ivy and Black Flag all played shows there. Strictly Necessary Cookies, Performance Cookies, Functionality Cookies, Targeting Cookies or Advertising Cookies, Preferences, Security, Processes, Advertising, Session State, Analytics, Pitt police reviews protocol for campus shooting scenarios after Michigan State shooting, Pitt women's lacrosse defeats Canisius 16-8, Opinion | Response to Ohio train derailment reminds us that government, companies treat life as expendable, Pitt Dance Marathon prepares for another successful event to support UPMC Childrens Hospital. Gene's Place 3.9 (38 reviews) Dive Bars $Oakland Divey Pittsburgh, PA 15219 From 1991 until 2008, the Boardwalk was home to places such as Tequilia Willies, Club Champagne and the infamous Donzis, where people seemed to get shot on an almost weekly basis. Mc Kees Rocks (8 miles) Carnegie (8 miles) Homestead (8 miles) Glenshaw (11 miles) Braddock (12 miles) Bethel Park (13 miles) With house parties seemingly on the decline and a few years too young for Oaklands bar scene, Claire Drew, an undecided first-year student, bemoaned how little she and her friends can do in Oakland at night. The change in students isnt limited to the booze, said Brandon Smith, the 35-year-old co-owner of Fuel and Fuddle and a Pitt alum. 10 Best Vintage Photos From Pittsburgh In The 1970s Posted in Pittsburgh October 30, 2016 by Beth Price-Williams These 10 Photos of Pittsburgh In The 1970s Are Mesmerizing A peek at these photos of Pittsburgh in the 1970s may take you back to a whole different time in your life. A parent herself, and a proud alum, Mattiko is content to let go of her memories though, if it means a thriving, more vibrant Oakland for her children. Students could grab a coffee, study, hang out or catch a movie then later concerts all in the same spot. Black Flags former singer still keeps in touch with the Banana. Zarras distracted booking of the band ended up transforming the clubs direction. packed, sweaty, and loud with menacing bouncers it was a gritty steel town bar. [7] The Islamic Center of Pittsburgh, the largest mosque in the city, is located in North Oakland. A nice spot. music venue for local artists called the Next Decade. [15] Oakland is also home to the university's French-Gothic revival Heinz Memorial Chapel and St. Paul Cathedral, the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh. google_color_bg="FFFFFF"; Pittsburghers raved about the mac and cheese at Shiloh Grill, perched at the top of Mount Washington. might not always stay within Oakland as the sun sets and students come out. . Because the prize was a recording session at Audionation, which was a big recording studio at the time, Schneider said. Stay tuned for the next installment, which will be about Oaklands community improvement initiatives. Rivers Casino. Went to the VIP north in Hampton in the 80's great place to be on Sundays. Nicks Fat City, South Side It was more of a performing venue than a bar, but if the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame can admit James Taylor than I can admit Nicks. sounds parachutes were hung across the ceiling. [11] The difference is largely because the area between Forbes Avenue and the Boulevard of the Allies houses many undergraduate students. Bruce and I went over to the Original [Hot Dog Shop] and people swarmed him. Whim may offer the most epic club-going experience, however. 11. So I was walking and talking at the same time, so I told Judy, Give these guys a Monday or Tuesday night. And I kept walking.. When they packed the place, Zarra began booking punk bands.