Until early this week, Pittsburgh had been buzzing about Sudden Little Thrills, the city's biggest music festival in years. The event’s sudden cancelation has since rendered arguments over whether it would be more Coachella or Fyre Festival moot.
The Live Nation-organized, $255 fest was emblematic of how expensive and complicated big music festivals have become. Heck, even a four-day pass to punk-packed Skull Fest (sold out, unfortch) runs $175. If you suddenly have a $255 refund in your account and gaps in your calendar, however, there’s good news: you don’t have to spend any money to see national acts here in town this summer.
While this summer's ticketed music fests feature curated weekends of pop, millennial-core, folk and country legends, and even ska, there are also plenty of concerts coming to the ’Burgh for the wonderfully low price of zero dollars! Many of them showcase emerging local talent and boast local food and drink vendors. Read on for some of the exciting live music you can catch this summer without spending a dime.
City of Asylum
City of Asylum has several upcoming performances as part of its ongoing Jazz Poetry program that combines music and readings, and more will be announced throughout the summer. Canadian pianist Andy Milne will take the stage this Sun., May 19; Pittsburgh titan Roger Humphries plays on Tue., May 21; and the Romanian-American Alex Harding & Lucian Ban Quintet will close things out Thu., May 23, all alongside a host of renowned poets.
Free in-person and livestream tickets are available at cityofasylum.org/jazz-poetry-month.
Millvale Music Festival
The Millvale Music Festival — happening Fri., May 17-Sat., May 18 — is so stacked as to be daunting, with local artists of all stripes taking stages throughout the borough. Organized by genre, the festival will feature plenty of rock and, for the first time, classical music in the beautiful St. Nicholas Church.
While the highlights are many, of particular note is a rap night the Mr. Smalls mainstage featuring Shel the Philosopher, a metal showcase with Úzkost, Post Mortal Possession, and the awesomely named Kicked in the Head by a Horse; as well as soft R&B with Diiviine and BusCrates on the Millvale Library patio. You can pretty much stagger from venue to venue and find something good, but if you’re looking for specific acts or vibes, the festival’s app and Instagram are both helpful tools.
For more info, visit millvalemusic.org.
AeroSol Fest
On Sun., May 26, WYEP, Hellbender Vinyl, and Trace Brewing will host a free concert series with DJ Arie Cole, psychedelic act Cisco Kid, and indie rockers Forestry Division while graffiti artists refresh the brewery’s wall and Jak’s Bakery and Streets on the Fly serve food. Festivities commence at 3 p.m.
More event details at tracebloomfield.com.
Three Rivers Arts Festival
Coinciding with Pittsburgh Pride, Pride on the Shore, and the return of the locally infamous Kenny Chesney, TRAF is bringing some heavy hitters this summer with concerts including Los Lonely Boys, Martha Redbone, Sugarhill Gang, and Ben Folds. As always, this will be against a backdrop of a teeming Artist Market and lots of bites and bevs.
More info at traf.trustarts.org.
Allegheny County Summer Concert Series
Allegheny County has curated a wide-ranging series of concerts by classic acts and up-and-comers. Highlights this summer at the Hartwood Acres Amphitheater include funk legends the Bar-Kays on July 7, singer-songwriter Patty Griffin on July 14, feminist polymath Paula Cole on July 21, and Palestinian American breakout Anees on Aug. 4, as well as performances by Pittsburgh Opera on June 2, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra on June 3, and Pittsburgh Ballet Theater on Aug. 25. Meanwhile, if you’ve finally gotten MAGIC!’s “Rude” out of your head and want it back in, you can see the reggae-pop hitmakers on Aug. 18.
South Park Amphitheater will likewise host artists including Summer of Love, returning July 5 after drawing a huge crowd in ’23; funk-pop act The Dip on Aug. 9; and Baltimore country singer-songwriter and Beyoncé collaborator Brittney Spencer on July 19. The lineup is rounded out by early-aughts alt-rock act Vertical Horizon on July 26 and Pittsburgh’s own Gene the Werewolf on Aug. 23. Hop Farm Brewing and Bella Terra Vineyards, plus a rotation of local food trucks, will provide concessions.
See the full lineups at alleghenycounty.us/Parks-and-Events/Special-Events/Summer-Concerts.
Music on the Lawn
SouthSide Works is all in on activating the growing riverfront development with a Friday music series and pop-up farmers market that begins June 16. Featured acts include Ras Prophet, Back Alley Sound, Animal Scream, and Tory Silver, all of whom will soundtrack shopping, games, and lounging on the grass. Slice on Broadway, Tasty Taquitos, Spirit, and Levity Brewing will also pull up to serve food and drinks.
See the full series at southsideworks.com/events.
Northside Music Festival
While the lineup hasn’t yet been announced, last year’s retooled festival featured 70-plus acts (and somehow dodged a pummeling rainstorm). The fest will run from July 12-14.
More info at northsidemusicfestival.com.
WYEP Summer Music Festival
The 25th edition of WYEP’s Schenley Park shindig on July 29 boasts Australian indie rockers Middle Kids, D.C. soul rockers Oh He Dead, and singer-songwriter Jade Bird, all supported by local artists and vendors.
More info at wyep.org.
City of Pittsburgh
Last but not least, four parks throughout Pittsburgh will, from July through August, play host to an array of musical artists against scenic backdrops. The first to kick off is the Stars at Riverview series, which launches June 8 with East End Piano & Flute and continues through July 27 with acts such as the Dark Matter Trio and Fermented Beats.
Mellon Park will, starting June 23, host the daytime Bach, Beethoven and Brunch series. The lineup features klezmer from KleZlectic and classical music from groups including the Chamber Orchestra of Pittsburgh and Vocal Confluence. Meanwhile, Jam at Grandview in Allentown starts Aug. 3 with Louis Castle & the Unleashed Band and the Highland Park Reservoir of Jazz series gets grooving on Aug. 4 with Roger Humphries. Local food and drink vendors will complement the four different series.
For a complete schedule, visit pittsburghpa.gov/events/concerts.
