Brews and tunes are on the menu this summer as the Pittsburgh Brewing Company gears up for the first Pittsburgh Music Festival.
The event is an expansion of the Pittsburgh Blues and Roots Festival organized by Ron “Moondog” Esser, of Frazer, and John Vento, of West Deer. The two began the festival in 2017 after the Pittsburgh Blues Festival was discontinued.
“As with the former Pittsburgh Blues and Roots Festival, the highlight for all of us is having our talented performers and production crew who live on the autism spectrum present,” Vento said in a statement from the brewery.
Discussions about Pittsburgh Music Festival started in January when his band, The Nied’s Hotel Band, and Esser’s, The Shiners, performed at a charity concert hosted at the brewery, Vento told TribLive.
Rebecca McCormick, director of events and tours at Pittsburgh Brewing Company, told the men the brewery wanted to highlight more local artists through performances.
“We had already decided six months earlier we were going to have the Pittsburgh Music Festival instead of the Pittsburgh Blues and Roots Festival,” Vento said. “It just made sense to join forces.”
The plan was finalized and set in motion by the end of February. Vento said he and Esser had worked with members of the Pittsburgh Brewing Company staff in the past.
“It moved very quickly,” Vento said. “The puzzle pieces fit together pretty quickly.”
Aside from Pittsburgh Blues and Roots, Vento also hosts his annual self-founded music festival, Corbriwoodstock. Each August since 2007, around 200 people show up to his home on Corbriwood Lane to spend the day listening to local music. The event benefits Allegheny Cleanways.
The two-day outdoor Pittsburgh Music Festival will spotlight 12 local bands spanning blues, rock, Americana, roots, country and jazz genres at the East Deer brewery.
“After (more than 30) years of blues, we are still connecting with our blues audience but also providing different types of music to broaden our reach,” Esser said in the statement.
“We are excited to expand our audience for this new chapter and continue supporting people living on the autism spectrum and their families with the power of live music.”
The festival is presented by the brewing company and will continue to support Band Together Pittsburgh and Autism Pittsburgh. The event will feature food, drinks and an art display inside the brewery featuring the work of austistic artists, Vento said.
Esser and Vento founded Band Together Pittsburgh in 2016. The nonprofit provides programming, experiences and vocational opportunities to enhance the lives of those on the autism spectrum. The two met over a decade ago when Vento played live music at Esser’s bar Moondog’s in Blawnox.
Autism-Pittsburgh comprises volunteers, parents and professionals, working on behalf of people of all ages on the autism spectrum. Esser and Vento have worked with them through Band Together for a decade.
“We can’t wait to collaborate with Ron Esser and John Vento for this new festival,” McCormick said in a statement from the brewery. “It’s an exciting opportunity to bring together multiple stages, multiple bands, and our community for a great cause. Pittsburgh Brewing Company is looking forward to creating a new tradition in Pittsburgh.”
The festival will be July 11 and 12. Tickets will go on sale at noon May 15 on pghmusicfestival.com.
Pittsburgh Music Festival lineup
Outdoor stage
Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers
Billy Price Band, with special guest Bill Toms
Sun King Warriors
Kenny Blake & The New Hip, with special guests Megan Paullet and Xavier Allen
The Nied’s Hotel Band, with special guests Jimmy Krenn, Joe Wodarek and Mike Filosemi
Norman Nardini, with special guest David Granati
Guitar Zack
Leonard T. Zanotti ,with special guest Nicole Belli
The Shiners
Zac Keim Band
Band Together Pittsburgh Band
Inside acoustic stage
Devin Russian
Chet Vincent & Tim Good