Pittonkatonk returns, Mountain View debuts, The Clarks drop new single
For its first national show, Mountain View Amphitheater in Harmar is about to cough up a Hairball. The Minneapolis band — which puts on a bombastic arena-style spectacle honoring Van Halen, KISS, Motley Crue, Queen, Journey and Aerosmith with pyro and costumes — plays the inaugural show at this new scenic venue operated by legendary promoter Rich Engler and Brian Drusky, a former DiCesare-Engler employee who now owns Drusky Entertainment.
The 1,200-capacity venue, which sits on a lush hillside, was created by Gary “Gus” Francis, owner of Allegheny Concrete Recycling and a music fan acting in “Field of Dreams” if-you-build-they-will-come mode.
“He built the stage,” Engler says, “and called me and said, ‘Will you come up and take a look?’ And I really liked it, so I was able to strike a deal with him. Brian worked for me for many years, and I thought, ‘This could be good. I’ll bring Brian on with me.’ ”
The first national touring show, Danny Seraphine (formerly of Chicago), was
scheduled for last September but was canceled due to permit issues. Seraphine will now be the third show, on June 25, following Hairball and Curtis and the Shakers (May 21) and preceding Get The Led Out (July 15) and Blue Oyster Cult (Sept. 9). A few more will be added.
Engler says when he saw the space, he thought of “I Can See for Miles,” a classic by The Who, who would obviously be a little big for Mountain View.
The plan was for the venue to be sodded for the opener but recent rains prevented that, so the surface will be asphalt for Hairball.
It is general admission and guests have the option of bringing a chair or standing. No outside food is allowed.
Engler says launching this venue brings to mind the I.C. Light Amphitheater at Station Square, but with a rural vibe.
“For the first year, when I opened the I.C. Light Amphitheatre, people were going. ‘Hey, Rich, this is a parking lot.’ I said, ‘Everything was something else at one time.’ I used to throw in everybody’s face: Shoreline Amphitheater in San Francisco, it used to be a dump. I mean, literally, a dump.”
We don’t know yet if there will be any weird distractions at Mountain View, but we can assure you it won’t be massive crowds and it won’t be trains.
It is at 10 Rich Hill Drive, not far from the Harmarville exit of the turnpike. For details, go to mtnviewamp.com.
• One of the rare good things to come from the pandemic is the prospect of double Pittonkatonk. The wild-and-free festival of mostly brass, funk and hip-hop bands, traditionally held in May at the Vietnam Veterans Pavilion in Schenley Park, was pushed to a scaled-down event on Labor Day Weekend last year.
Now, it’s back in May with the full-on festival and a second smaller one likely to return in September.
Organizer Pete Spynda is keeping close tabs on the weather forecast for Saturday (May 14) as Pittonkatonk is the type of
party where some bands play under the roof while others are just let loose on the grounds.
The lineup features the return of longtime Pittonkatonkers like Undertow Brass Band (formerly What Cheer? Brigade), the Detroit Party Marching Band, Pittsburgh’s own Colonel Eagleburger Band, Timbeleza and more.
Making its P-tonk debut is Gili Yalo & Anbessa Orchestra, which features the Ethiopian-Israeli singer backed by the seven-piece Brooklyn band that combines Ethiopian jazz and indie-psych.
Returning from September is Mexico City’s red-hot Son Rompe Pera, playing a marriage of punk and cumbia.
“They’re crazy,” Spynda says. “They may be the most insane band. They’re like punkers with neck tattoos and stretched earrings and they play everything from traditional South American folk music to covers of the Sex Pistols.”
There will be representatives from social justice organizations and, with the help of local foundations, this will be greenest festival they’ve done yet, Spynda says.
It begins at 1 p.m. Admission is free; donations accepted. More info at flow.page/pittonkatonk.
• “Take me out and kiss me on the South
Side” is a line that many a Pittsburgher can relate to and, as we all know, The Clarks excel at being relatable to people in this town. The lyric comes from the new single “Stay,” a big warm power ballad with an irresistible chorus combining heartbreak and some personal salvation.
The Clarks, which have not released a live album and hits package since 2018’s “Madly in Love At the End of the World,” dropped it with a tweet noting that “Scott [Blasey] wrote ‘Stay’ about the end of a relationship after being in a short film about mental health called ‘Tics.’ Made by his friend and filmmaker Ted Haynes, it was shot in Pittsburgh in the summer of 2018 and the song later ended up being used in the film.”
• There are two days left to jump on the Live Nation Concert Week offer of $25 allin tickets. The offer, running through Tuesday, covers shows at The Pavilion at Star Lake, Roxian, some PPG Paints Arena shows and more. You can opt in at livenation.com/concertweek.
• Pittsburgh’s own Anti-Flag is listed near the top of the bill of the second annual Punk in the Park, a festival in Orange County, Calif., headlined by Bad Religion and Dropkick Murphys and also featuring Face to Face, Adolescents and Bouncing Souls, among others. It runs Nov. 5-6; PunkInThePark.com.