Layer Cake Festival was created to combine the art and music community in a way that hasn’t been done before in Pittsburgh. October third was the start of this unique concept utilizing all three floors at James Street Gastropub and Speakeasy on the Northside with 36 bands, 20 live painters and 3 comedians. With the successful event, fest creator and artist, Ziggy Sawdust is realizing his dream even further. Not only has Layer Cake Festival expanded to multiple venues, it is also expanding to 2 days!
With over 400 submissions in all different genres of music, Ziggy saw the 2nd day the best way to accommodate as many musicians as possible. The final number of performers is not set yet but he ensures at least 250 creative acts over the 2 days.
Along with 2 days of music, Layer Cake will also feature multiple venues in different neighborhoods. James Street Gastropub and Speakeasy and Spirit Lodge in Lawrenceville will host activities Friday, June 3rd from 5pm to 1am. Cattivo in Lawrenceville and Mr. Smalls in Millvale will be added to the mix Saturday to round out the day. Mr. Smalls will host music from 5pm-1am while the other 3 venues will last from 1pm-1am.
Ziggy has once again assembled a strong line-up with a lot of diversity, mostly with local talent, but a number are also from out of state. SOLARBURN are a fast rocking Pittsburgh group who performed during the inaugural fest and will perform again this year.
Mike Stains, guitarist of SOLARBURN said “for us, this gig provided the opportunity to play with a diverse group of our fellow musicians, outside of any genre barriers. [It’s a] very refreshing experience.”
“When we heard Ziggy was planning the second and it was going to be bigger, we threw our hat in the ring. Local fests like Layer Cake and R.A.N.T. help spread awareness about the incredibly vibrant local music scene,” continued Stains.
Local hip hop artist Billy Pilgrim is also on board. He recently released a video for “Selfies at a Funeral” directed and created by Ziggy Sawdust Productions. He hopes to gain a new audience at Layer Cake, one he may not have been able to reach otherwise.
Pilgrim said, “i’m like a horse with blinders. My focus is to give a good show and a solid performance. For those in attendance who listen and appreciate not only good music but hip hop in particular, I hope to bring a fresh perspective.”
Ziggy has plans to expand Layer Cake to cities such as Detroit, Brooklyn, Washington D.C. and Columbus, with plans to launch the fest in Philadelphia in the fall featuring some Pittsburgh acts.
“My goal with Layer Cake is to create pipelines for emerging artists between major markets.
Advanced tickets will be on sale May 1 at www.Layercakefest.com
SOLARBURN presented by RAW: Pittsburgh
Billy Pilgrim -“Selfies at a Funeral (f/ Zack Wiesinger)”
Bad Custer at Layer Cake Fest 2015
