If you have holiday shopping left to do, some local bloggers have a few good ideas for you.
Burghsounds wants you to give the gift of Pittsburgh music, and one of their hippest recommendations is The Harlan Twins‘ self-titled album, which includes the song “Can’t Be Blue in Bloomfield”. I’ll spare you a joke about a blue Christmas and just remind you that I recommend this band. Burghsounds recommends emailing the band about getting the album and t-shirt for $15 (if you’re shopping for me, I already have both). You can also buy the album at Paul’s CDs and not have to worry about getting it in time for Christmas.
Another blog, Steeltown Anthem, recently posted about some great prints of Bloomfield that they found on Etsy. The drawings by artist Chantal DeFelice come mounted on wood, and beautifully capture some sides of Bloomfield. To buy Chantal’s work in time for Christmas, you can try visiting Wild Card on Butler Street or contact the artist directly.
And if you’re shopping for me, I don’t own any of those prints yet.
Last weekend, I got to see one of my new favorite bands in a new Bloomfield venue when The Harlan Twins played The Nerve. Click their logo to listen to “Can’t Be Blue in Bloomfield” and other tracks on MySpace.
The Nerve is a warehouse turned gallery at 500 Dargan Street, right under the Bloomfield Bridge. Nobody I spoke to knew much about the venue, which made it feel like we weren’t supposed to be there had I not gotten the address from their MySpace page.
The Nerve
The bands played in a sparsely-decorated industrial space, backed by video projections by artist Jim Mueller that added a level of atmosphere not normally found under no influence. There were no chairs, but this audience didn’t mind standing to see the bands.
Harlans James Hart on Vocals & Jules Krishnamurti on Bass
Harlan Carrie Battle
Colin and the Shots
I noticed a few Pittsburgh musicians among the fans, along with fellow social media creators Sarah from GeekStar.com and Matthew Stoff from Burgh Sounds. GeekStar took some awesome shots of The Harlan Twins and Colin and the Shots that I recommend checking out, and Burgh Sounds wrote a review of the “infrequent and undocumented” opening act that is worth reading.
All Photos © 2009 geekstar.com. See more shots of The Nerve here.
Susan Constanse likes having open studios, because it gives her a chance to show off her latest work. Two years ago, she coordinated the Creative Tour in Bloomfield, an open studio event showcasing more than a dozen artists and eight galleries as part of the sixth annual Little Italy Days Festival.
This Sunday, she will be showing off her work at her studio near the Bloomfield Bridge, along with the work of local artists Christine Bethea, Michelle Gregio and Laurenty Josep. The studio is only open once a year or by appointment, so don’t miss this opportunity. Details are below.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Noon–6:00 PM
4073 Liberty Avenue
Second Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15224
Bloomfield Events Calendar
