Deutschtown Music Festival
Northside, Pittsburgh
July 11, 2015
Photos and article by Randy Jarosz
If you have ever been to Bonnaroo or Coachella you probably noticed a certain vibe and sense of community that is like no other. Each festival has its own fervor that can’t be duplicated. Its a place that for three or four days you can forget about everyday life and emerse yourself in music.
Deutschtown Music Festival may only be a single day event with out any household name touring acts, but there is something special going on right in our own backyard. The buzz leading up to the fest and the day it self has taken on a life of its own, this time with 125 bands, mostly local, on 24 stages.
The bands feel the energy too, feeding off fans and visa versa. The Semi Super-Villains played the main stage with their three piece band. The stage wasn’t too big for these guys though. Lead vocalist, Vinnie Longhi used the stage to his advantage leaping through the air on several occasions.
“My showmanship feeds the crowd for sure. On a big stage there is even more room for that to happen. The crowd’s positive vibes fed me more than anything to be energetic and smile while doing it. We opened our set with a cover of SGT. Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club Band to engage the crowd right out of the gate,” says Longhi.
Its not out of the ordinary for bands to make special announcements at a festival; last shows, new albums, band break ups etc. Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo played the park stage and used their platform to announce their departure to Seattle later this year, in the wake of their house fire this past May, while Coronado coincidentally named their set at The Park House the last one for a while.
Clinton Clegg of The Commonheart didn’t waste his prime spot on the main stage, playing to the crowd and eventually joining them on the street for his own drum solo. “When you are in your backyard Its more about pride, not all shows are like that. From our perspective you are looking out at your peers and it makes it all the sweeter. I think it was the first Commonheart show for a bunch of people that night so I think some people weren’t sure what they were getting into and once things started cooking they really embraced it,” admits Clegg.
Pittsburgh may not be known for their festival scene but for a few days out of the year local residents and their independent musicians unite for some pretty memorable moments and unforgettable performances.
Longhi described his bands show as Fantastic, admitting it was “My favorite show I have ever played up until this point in my career.”
To see more festival photos click here.
Semi-Supervillains
The Commonheart
Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo
Coronado
Fan Shots
