Sound Scene Express

Third Annual Indie-Rockfest Will Return to Cattivo on April 14th

Text by Nathan Jay and Brian Crawford
Edited by Melanie Stangl

On Saturday, April 14th, the third annual Pittsburgh Indie-Rockfest is coming back to Cattivo. The event aims to showcase independent artists in the Pittsburgh area, and features everything from hip-hop and electronic acts to (you guessed it) indie rock. You can feel good about the $10 cover charge too—100% of it goes directly to the artists who perform. With the event lasting from 4-11 PM, and a lineup full of heavy hitters like BBGuns and Bad Custer, it’s not a stretch to say you’ll get your money’s worth.

Sun Hound’s Jessica Fisch says her band is “so ready” for Indie Rock-Fest 3 this year. “We’re excited to play with this particular lineup of Pittsburgh bands, all in a festival environment, and all at a venue we have always had great shows at.” She continues, “We’re looking forward to feeling that electricity circulating through the air from all the creative goodness that will ensue!”

Sun Hound is one of seven bands performing at this year’s event. The others include Standard Broadcast, Bad Custer, BBGuns, Back Alley Sound, Essential Machine and festival veterans There You Are. They, along with Standard Broadcast, have performed at the festival all three years. Tom Chorba of There You Are reflected on festivals’ tenure, saying, “The last 2 years have been so much fun. Every band always rocks the house, and this year I have no doubt in my mind that each band will do it again.”

Prominent local singer-songwriter Jeremy Caywood (also known for his work in the bands Lyola and The Way of Life) will be hosting this year’s event. Indie-Rockfest 3 will be sponsored by Urban Capital Group (a real estate investment firm), as well as returning sponsors: The River’s Edge Radio Station and MIC: Music Industry Connected (a musician consulting agency.)

Nathan Jay (of Standard Broadcast) told Brian Crawford (of The River’s Edge) that the festival grew out of a band contest at Station Square’s Hard Rock Café, where Nathan played at the same event with There You Are. Enjoying the experience, he wanted to relive it in a non-competitive setting. He explained that it was his mission to create a stress-free event for musicians by ditching the “pay to play” formula, where musicians must meet specific ticket sale criteria. Instead, he wanted to foster an environment that encouraged networking, and focused on the opportunity for musicians to better entertain their fans and put on a “killer performance.”

Cattivo’s doors open at 4 PM for this 21+ event. Tickets are $10, and can be purchased here or at the door. Check out the Facebook event page for more details.

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About The Author

Melanie Stangl

Melanie, 28, is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, and has been contributing both articles and photos to Sound Scene Express since April 2016. Her work has previously been published on Huffington Post Women, feminspire.com, and in the New York University textbook Mercer Street. Her goals include diving deeper into music journalism, traveling the world, and eventually being financially stable enough to own two dogs.

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