Facing increased competition from other local live venues, Nicks closed in 2004. google_ad_height=600; Pirates fans gather on the site each year on the anniversary of Bill Mazeroski's World Series winning home run on October 13, 1960. On a Saturday in October 1978, a crowd of Pitt students, steel mill workers and music enthusiasts packed the corner of Atwood and Sennott streets, jockeying for space in the Decade. The dressing room at the Decade was the freakin kitchen. Despite its reputation as one of Downtowns go-to destinations, Morris eventually encountered financial difficulties and Froggys closed in 2003. The Red Hot Chili Peppers played there in 1988 and Nirvana played the venue in September 1991 only six days after the release of Nevermind. Sign in|Recent Site Activity|Report Abuse|Print Page|Powered By Google Sites, In an interview with the Pittsburgh Press Billy Price talked about the Decade. [15] Oakland is also home to the university's French-Gothic revival Heinz Memorial Chapel and St. Paul Cathedral, the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh. hey built up a loyal following that packed the Decade every weekend for years. This Flea Market Near Pittsburgh Covers 14,000 Square Feet With More Than 100 Vendors On-Site, The Charming Out Of The Way Flea Market Near Pittsburgh You Wont Soon Forget, 6 Must-Visit Flea Markets In Pittsburgh Where Youll Find Awesome Stuff, 5 Amazing Flea Markets In Pittsburgh You Absolutely Have To Visit, 10 Beloved Places In Pittsburgh That Well Never Forget. Unfortunately, it became another victim of the pandemic, officially closing its doors for the final time on July 28, 2020, after celebrating a final bacon night. An up and coming three [Oakland has] became more sterile. Their ears rang from the distorted guitar riffs and gruff vocals of Joe Grushecky as his band then the Iron City Houserockers finished a blistering cover of Chuck Berrys School Days.. North Oakland has eight borders with the Pittsburgh neighborhoods of Bloomfield to the northeast, Shadyside and Squirrel Hill North to the east, Central Oakland to the south, West Oakland to the southwest, the Terrace Village region of the Hill District to the west, the Upper Hill District to the northwest Polish Hill to the north-northwest. If youve been around long enough (and this town isnt exactly full of transients), you either know many of them by name or were in some of them yourself back in your younger days when your back wasnt troubling you and you didnt have to get up so early for work. singer David Johansen on December, 28, 1980. It is also the location of the relatively isolated and historic neighborhood of Panther Hollow which runs along Boundary Street in Junction Hollow as well as the Oakland Square Historic District. Jay Yander, a 99 Pitt grad, often went to the two venues, which he remembers focused on local bands.. She did not mention any specific plans within the near future. There shouldnt be any nightlife [in Oakland because] the rents dont allow for that, he said, referencing tight profit margins on cinemas and bars. The Frazier Street city steps in South Oakland. the place apart with a skillfully played energetic performance on March 20, 1979. Beyond just benefiting the musicians, Graffiti represented a dependable location in Oakland at which to hear talented, rising artists. Since its formation, Oakwatch has noticed a decline in disruptions and house parties in recent years, based on reports from a September Oakwatch meeting. music venue for local artists called the Next Decade. google_ad_type="text_image"; The somewhat dark, intriguing atmosphere with its view of the city's funicular railway is enough to draw you in but it's the fast bar service, classic saloon menu, happy hour specials and incredible seafood options like $1 oysters that have helped this unique bar maintain its excellent reputation among locals for decades. Diner food is just good, and Tom's Diner served some of the best. He came to see us play that night with all his handlers and managers, plus the record company people, Grushecky said. The Decade is the only bar on the list that has had a book written about it (Gabby Means The Decade.). South Oakland was the childhood home of Andy Warhol, and later the residence of fellow pop artist Keith Haring. The first national act to play the Decade was. Address: 123 Shiloh St, Pittsburgh, PA 15211, USA Address: 134 S Highland Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15206, USA Address: 24 Market Square, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, USA Address: 5104 Liberty Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15224, USA Address: 2937 W Liberty Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15216, USA Address: 1400 Smallman St, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, USA Pittsburgh In Your Inbox After a decline following the 1970s, Pitts enrollment grew from 26,328 in 1995 to 28,649 in 2016. Even if you've never eaten at NOLA on the Square, you certainly recognize it from the outside if you spend any time in downtown Pittsburgh and in Market Square, in particular, The popular New Orleans-themed restaurant brought a bit of Louisiana flare with its southern-inspired dishes. So I said to Joe, Who the hell is this? And he says, This is Meat Loaf. I said, I dont give a sh*t if his name is fettuccine alfredo, I dont want him in my kitchen, DiSilvio said. But we went over to Decade and jammed with the band that was playing, Grushecky said. sounds parachutes were hung across the ceiling. That was the the best part. Joe (Photo Credit: KDKA) Sandcastle 1000 Sandcastle. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Scattered amongst Oakland's four neighborhoods are 29 distinct flights of city steps - many of which are open and in a safe condition. John Bon Jovi did the Decade on March, 1987 playing a 50 minute set with his friend the manful handful Norman Nardini. For years, colorful owner Joel Greenfield had a Skull Room in the back filled with cabinets of skull-shaped mugs and other skull-themed oddities. 4. After his wild show played encore, after encore, after encore and then stood at the front of the stage and shook hands with everyone in the club. Read . the place apart with a skillfully played energetic performance on March 20, 1979. Mario's Oakland Saloon. Drew and her friends then content themselves with raging at house shows in Oakland basements or partying at friends homes habits that have drawn the ire of Pitt police and Oakland residents alike. google_ad_width=120; Baseball fans might know Oakland for the beloved Forbes Field, which was built in 1909 as the third home to the Pittsburgh Pirates and first home to the Pittsburgh Steelers. So the next act that we had was The Ramones. Carlow University and most of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center can be found there. Later it became arestaurant called Atwoods Garden. After nearly 32 years of Polish platters and live music, this unapologetically no-frills tavern at the end of the Bloomfield Bridge has served its last pierogi. In 1917, Teddy Roosevelt visited the neighborhood.[13]. The place was full of people, smoke and sound.". Many of its homes are historic masonry structures dating from the turn of the century. My preference was Graffiti, by far. To provide The Pitt News with data for advertisers and internal analytics. The Pretenders packed the Decade on March 19, 1980. If the idea of sharing some spirits with Pittsburgh's spirits is on your bar bucket list, Papa J Centro's is the perfect place to check that off. The Electric Banana on Bigelow Boulevard was the smallest of the three Oakland clubs and featured an Andy Warhol-style banana sign above the entrance. concert promoter Danny Kresege convinced Dom Disilvio to make the Decade a Across the Monongahela River, South Oakland runs adjacent with Pittsburgh's South Side Flats neighborhood. Upstage, OaklandIts a testament to the popularity of the Upstage that more than a decade after it closed, former patrons maintain a Facebook page in its honor. The Electric Banana featured more college students and unrehearsed distortion. We would go to each others shows, but we would also try and do shows with each other, Schneider said. Today, people come here to meet people passing through our nightspots. Theres one or two bars, theres no movie theatre theres nothing.. Her main observation from the years in Pitts shadow are simple. Jackson sang his Is She Really Going Out with Him and Funny Papers" in April On a stage the size of a postage stamp,then- up-and-coming acts such as U2, the Police, the Ramones, Jon Bon Jovi (pictured above) and the Red Hot Chili Peppers played. of 1979. 10 Mom & Pop Restaurants In Pittsburgh That Serve Home Cooked Meals To Die For, If You Grew Up In Pittsburgh, You Definitely Love These 9 Classic Dishes, Facebook/Green Forest Brazilian Churrascaria, 12 stores that anyone who grew up in Pittsburgh remembers. These businesses are organized by the Oakland Business Improvement District (OBID). Tequila Cowboy is a bar and grill, but its self-proclaimed "revved-up nightlife" makes it more than a viable option for one of Pittsburgh's best nightclubs. 11. Let's Find Out, PA County Wants To Make Its Own Gun Laws After Recent Court Defeat. He was an older guy, his idea of rock n roll was Dion and the Belmonts. In an interview with the Post Gazette DiSilvo said he first saw Stevie Ray Vaughan playing in a dirt-floor club in New Orleans called the Dream Palace, Booking for only $500 he brought Vaughan up North for the first time.Stevie Ray Vaughan made his first appearance in March of 1983 Stevie appeared a second time for $850 before he became a big star. This is part two of a series by staff writer Stephen Caruso about how Oaklands businesses and the community have changed since the 1990s for better or worse. DECADE ROCKS OUT, AFTER 22 YEARS -Scott Mervis Pittsburgh Post-Gazette August 22, 1995. [3] As of 2020, two of these public stairways, Joncaire Street (Central Oakland) and Louisa Street (West Oakland), also contain runnels which allow cyclists to easily transport a bike up or down the flight. A Bloomfield staple for more than six decades, Alexander's Italian Bistro was. The area between Forbes Avenue and Boulevard of the Allies is officially part of Central Oakland. Created by our advertising software OpenX. Whim may offer the most epic club-going experience, however. In late 1978 After However, he is still disappointed at his options for a night out in Oakland. The Decades owner, Dominic DiSilvio, already stressed over managing the number of people crowding his bar, did not appreciate Meat Loafs engorged presence in the kitchen. For a unique moving-picture experience, check out Community Cinema, a monthly documentary series sponsored by WQED. Because they would give a gig to anybody, he said. One bar patron at the Decade that evening was singer Meat Loaf. Bar Marco: Among Pittsburgh restaurants, this Strip District bar tops lists for its rotating menu, good service, and five-course meal in the reservations-only wine room.Order the "bartender's choice" for a customized cocktail based on your favorite spirit and flavors. If the Decade was Pittsburghs Stone Pony, then the Electric Banana was Pittsburghs CBGB. As larger The walls were thick grey stone and the I couldnt even remember what bands I would have seen there, Yander said, but he remembers most tried to be as close as they could get to Nirvana. OBID is a government-chartered area that provides services above and beyond that of the city government by taxing property holders within Oakland. Bars & Clubs. Because the prize was a recording session at Audionation, which was a big recording studio at the time, Schneider said. Grushecky noted a rivalry between the two scenes sparked by these differences. Each film started as a project for the PBS series Independent Lens, and each explores topics of social concern, such as activism in India. Grushecky remembered the exchange led to Meat Loafs quick exit from the Decade. Miss Shaler Skateland as well. The Decade and Electric Banana bands rarely mixed, despite a shared hard-edged sound. That support stretched to other musicians both locally and nationally as the clubs size grew. The flood plain was previously packed with industrial sites such as the Pittsburgh Works Consolidated Gas Co. and the Jones & Laughlin Steel Co.,[9] but presently, the Pittsburgh Technology Center hosts facilities such as the Entertainment Technology Center of Carnegie Mellon University. The manful handful Norman Nardini eventually encountered financial difficulties and Froggys closed in 2003 that of the University of Medical... Of the three Oakland clubs and featured an Andy Warhol-style Banana sign above entrance... 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