Maura: The Cafe and Music Hall have two very different feels. Thunderbird has the name “Cafe” in the title before “Music Hall” – how do you balance the cafe and music portions with equal priority? Maura: I hope to see more up-and-coming indie bands like Dhed, Surfbort, Yves Tumor, Palehound, Crumb, Hiatus Kaiyote… John: A dream artist would be Keith Richards and the Expensive Winos, Billy Gibbons Blues Band or Warren Haynes solo acoustic. Is there a dream artist you hope plays the Thunderbird stage? Who have been some of the bigger names to play the venue? John and I are both musicians and have played on the Front Porch ourselves, in addition to our other employees that also perform! We scout a lot of those acts for support slots in the Music Hall. Maura: The FPS a great resource for local bands to gain exposure and get their foot in the door. We host a bluegrass night every Tuesday, vinyl night on Wednesdays as well as local indie rock, surf and acoustic blues. ![]() John: The front porch stage was designed to look like the front porch of a Mississippi Juke Joint. What is the story behind your Front Porch Stage? What are some of your favorite memories that have come out of that stage? The front porch stage is located in the cafe portion of the venue which is also our front entrance to the venue. Bands like Titus Andronicus, Mo Lowda, Pokey LaFarge, Nikki Lane, Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio, and Sonny Landreth have all made multiple appearances in the Music Hall and we look forward to continuing to feature those artists in our room. We kind of see ourselves as the “Independent Republic of Thunderbird” where everyone is welcome, and because of that, we get a really wide variety of genres coming through our room. Maura: As an independent venue, we have the pleasure of working with lots of different promoters throughout the city. Maura: As a former Tour Manager, I’ve seen a LOT of green rooms across the country- we consistently hear from bands and TM’s that our green room is top notch.ĭo you feel Thunderbird is the go-to indie club in Pittsburgh? What touring bands in general have come back time and time again and consider Thunderbird a “home turf?” Our green room is a large comfortable room, with a full bath, laundry facility, large flat screen tv, and a pinball machine. What is the capacity of your main room and can you describe to our readers what your green room is like? From sight lines to acoustics, hospitality to entertainment, a great overall concert experience. ![]() John: Our main goal with the renovation was first and foremost to create a space that is great for both the performer and the patron. Can you talk about the before and after of the renovations and what has most improved? Read the full interview below and check out the Thunderbird website here:Ĭan you talk about your recent renovation? One Google reviewer said it’s now the best place in town for live music as the sound system is better and the venue itself is better. Glide talked with venue owner John Pergal and ticketing/marketing/venue manager Maura Mullen from Thunderbird Cafe & Music Hall to discuss how the venue has evolved over the years, the local music scene, and how Thunderbird got its name. ![]() ![]() Thunderbird is a venue that feels alive, it is constantly evolving to improve itself to bring the best live concert experience along with some fine cuisine on the side. The storied venue has positioned itself at the heart of the Pittsburgh art scene and has seen everyone from local greats to acclaimed touring bands. Every musician starts somewhere, and it’s small independent venues like Thunderbird Cafe & Music Hall in Pittsburgh that provides a safe space for blossoming creatives.
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