Live music venue opening in former Squirrel Hill Theater
Part of the former Squirrel Hill Theater, which has been vacant since it closed in 2010, will become The Marquee, a new venue for live local music.
Barry White, who had been booking music at his Squirrel Hill Sports Bar next door, developed the space on Forward Avenue, which will have its grand opening the weekend of Feb. 1516.
“He saw the local Pittsburgh scene lose several of its cornerstone venues and saw the opportunity for the space next door,” said Shane McLaughlin, guitarist for the folk-rock band Buffalo Rose, who has been hosting the jam sessions at the Squirrel Hill Sports Bar and who will be managing the 175-person capacity Marquee.
The grand opening weekend, sponsored by Acoustic Music Works, will feature Starship Mantis and Tribe Eternal on Feb. 15 and theCAUSE and Buffalo Rose on Feb. 16. Beauty Slap is booked for the following weekend.
“We’re going to have everything from folk to funk to metal,” Mr. McLaughlin said. “We’re hoping to have it be very encompassing.”
The plan is to start with local bands and ease in some national acts to pair with them. There will also be DJ nights at the venue, which has a tiered layout with a dance floor in front of the stage and a bar and dining area above it. There is a large movie screen behind the stage for video projections.
The Squirrel Hill Sports Bar will phase out its live music for now to put the focus on the new venue.
“We’ve played at PD’s, Frankie and Georgie’s, Frankie’s and, most recently, Squirrel Hill Sports Bar since 2006,” says David Tauberg of theCAUSE, referring to the space. “It’s always been a good spot for us and our fans . ... When the venue became the Squirrel Hill Sports Bar, with multiple TVs and pool tables, the place lost a little of its music vibe, so we were excited to see that Barry was going to turn the theater next door into a dedicated music venue. They’ve taken all the seats out, built a stage and are putting in a house PA system. It’s going to be sweet.”
Just down the block, a new apartment building will open soon at the corner of Forward and Murray avenues. The portion of the former Squirrel Hill Theater to the west, which holds the actual marquee, remains vacant.
Booking inquiries should be sent to themarqueebookingpgh@gmail.com.