Upcoming Events
Some Local Venues that Host Creative Music
Bantha Tea Bar
Roboto Project
The Maple Leaf
Perogi Palace
About This Calendar
This calendar compiles creative music events around Pittsburgh. We list show announcements that happen every other Monday at the Open Improvisation Lab. Always check the more comprehensive Arcane City Calendar (linked on the right)
Want us to list your event? Contact us here.
ephem aural presents
Darkwave Dark Classical Dungeon Synth @ the Allentown’s Night Market
Ghost Storytelling Concert - Jay Rauch, Eli Namay, Patrick Breiner @ the Folklife Center
Friday October 16 7pm - 9pm @ the Folklife Center - The West Virginia Storytelling Guild and the Pittsburgh Sound Preserve - Ghost Storytelling Concert - Jay Rauch, Eli Namay, Patrick Breiner
adventurous cusp PGH listening Club #2 Exploring S. Alexander Reed & Small Leaks Sink Ships in Lawrenceville
Adventurous Cusp
PGH Listening Club
October 29th in Lawrenceville:
S. Alexander Reed with Joshua W: what, if anything, is The Gothic? Reeds intense yet melodic music
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Small Leaks Sink Ships with Malakai: Progressive indie rock band with vocals that span percussive, poetic, & painful
Fall 2026 Season
Listen / Learn / Discuss
We are forming a group of passionate appreciators of diverse music. 21st century culture and media have fostered a takeoff of niche creativity, but also listener loneliness and closer-to-impossible economics for creators. ‘More listening together’ is intended, in on act to challenge cocoons of comfort and to foster the health of our scenes.
Inexperienced? Skeptical? A dweeby fan? In this space, that’s a welcome and constructive start — Come as you are!
Meetings at ~7:30 PM (variants announced) in either Lawrenceville or Wilkinsburg. RSVP through partiful link available upon request. Snacks provided, BYOB
adventurous cusp PGH listening Club #3 Exploring Pere Ubu’s the Modern Dance @ Ѧ cottage cottage (Wilkinsburg)
Adventurous Cusp
PGH Listening Club
November 12th in Wilkinsburg:
The Modern Dance with : Pere Ubu’s punk, soul, and funk infused art rock. Optional screening of Eno. follows.
Fall 2026 Season
Listen / Learn / Discuss
We are forming a group of passionate appreciators of diverse music. 21st century culture and media have fostered a takeoff of niche creativity, but also listener loneliness and closer-to-impossible economics for creators. ‘More listening together’ is intended, in on act to challenge cocoons of comfort and to foster the health of our scenes.
Inexperienced? Skeptical? A dweeby fan? In this space, that’s a welcome and constructive start — Come as you are!
Meetings at ~7:30 PM (variants announced) in either Lawrenceville or Wilkinsburg. RSVP through partiful link available upon request. Snacks provided, BYOB
Halloween Cover Band Show @ The Glitterbox
Saturday Oct 3 @ The Glitterbox Theater 210 W 8th Ave - Halloween Cover Band Show - John Carpenter/ My Chemical Romance / Red Hot Chili Peppers/ System of a Down/ Moses Sumney/ B-52s/ Cake/ Weezer/ The Cure/ Tom Waits
$15-$20 NOTAFLOF benefits sisTers PGH
Local Band Merch Market Place @ Jackworth Ginger Beer
Saturday October 3 6pm - 10pm @Jackworth Ginger Beer 6615 Hamilton Ave - Local Band Merch Market Place - music by Buscrates/ Song People/ Mother of Earl/ Trē and Lindsey Willis
The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926) with live score by Anticipation Porn @ the Glitterbox
Friday Oct 2nd doors at 6:30 show at 7pm @The Glitterbox
210 W 8th Ave, Homestead
Anticipation Porn live scoring of the silent film Lotte Reiniger’s The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926)
$12 tickets
-ALMOST MUSIC- @ Bellefield Hall
Thursday October 1st
-ALMOST MUSIC-
Jack Wright (alto sax)
Evan Lipson (bass)
Jonah Gelbart (trumpet)
w/ locals:
Danny Fratina & Ali Sadeqi_
Jasonb Belcher (piano)
Darren Moor (bass)
Corey Hackathorn (drums)
Bellefield Hall (studio 205)
315 S. Bellefield Avenue
Pittsburgh (Oakland)
8 PM
10-15 dollars
suggested donation
Venessa Prentiss/Falbespout/Kylie Koch
Wednesday Sept 30, doors at 7pm show at 8pm @ The Government Center 715 East Street - Venessa Prentiss / Fablespout / Kylie Koch
$15
A Night of Noise and Improvised Music @ Mary’s
Monday Sept 28 8pm @ Mary’s 5128 Penn Ave - a night of noise and improvised music
Lucite Spine, Daia + Frogonbough, Pterradactl, Carrie Sours
$5 - $15 notaflof
DJ Treebugs feelfreetofeelfree Vol.1 release
Sunday Sept 27 4pm - 10pm @ pierogi palace
An evening of all original productions celebrating the release of DJ Treebugs feelfreetofeelfree Vol.1 - DJ Yuca/ Franklin Pike (Erie)/ DJ Treebug/ the hush bins/ frank grinds (MD)/ Liftgate/ clay Colonna/ brednotbred/ Lexi Valentine
$10 - $20 notaflof
throat singing workshop @ The Maple Leaf
Join Nico (Lavender Lilt) in exploring your own resonance chambers to find the overtones and undertones in your throat, mouth, head and chest! Explore cultural histories of polyphonic vocal techniques across the world and maybe the start of a throat singing choir?
György Kurtág at 100
Sunday Sept 27 3pm @ Bellefield Hall Auditorium 315 South Bellefield Ave - György Kurtág at 100 - Tony Arnold, soprano, Christopher Otto - violin, Andy Williams - piano
$20 students $5 Pitt students and faculty free w ID
Seen through: Art music installation
Saturday September 26
Join us for a night of art and music at Telephone - 5120 Penn Ave.
Art and music by:
Nina Ruffini
Kali Stull
MTT
Marika Stephens
Joshua David Hoffman
LVW (Holy People)
Big Feels
Dudl Behr
Cash bar
Doors 7:30 - Music 8:30
$5-15 NOTAFLOF
Tough Pill #61
Tough Pill #61 !!
Thursday, August 20th, 8p at the Government Center, 715 East St
$10-15 suggested donation, no one turned away for lack of funds!
Tough Pill is a creative music and performance series held primarily at The Government Center in Pittsburgh. Tough Pill seeks to create space for practitioners while also expanding the scope of the experimental art audience. It's not always this, but it's always good... so always come!
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Scot Boni and Ross Antonich duo
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Mike Hugo and Nick Larsen duo
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Erin Connelly Quartet
Description: Warm, sensitive, communicative acoustic improvisation with deep ensemble interplay
Erin Connelly, trumpet- erinconnellytrumpet.com (http://erinconnellytrumpet.com/)
Derrick Michaels, saxophones-baltimoresaxophone.com (http://baltimoresaxophone.com/)
Tony Martucci, drums-
www.dcjazz.com/tonymartucci (http://www.dcjazz.com/tonymartucci)
Eli Namay, bass
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Giulia Galante Quartet with Scot Boni, Ross Antonich, and Mike Hugo
Will Greene / Ishmael Ali / Lily Finnegan at Pierogi Palace
Friday, Aug. 14th, 8p. Chicago creative music at Pierogi Palace. $13.12 suggested. NOTAFLOF
dm for address:
@pierogi.palace
@eli_namay
...or other friends
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From Chicago
HillHillHill:
Will Greene (sax, guitar)
Ishmael Ali (cello)
Lilly Finnegan (drums)
See the writeup from Rhizome on this Chicago Trio:
https://www.rhizomedc.org/new-events/2026/8/10/gaf-trio-will-greene-ishmael-ali-lily-finnegan
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Local support from:
eli namay (bass & electronics)
Jay Rauch (clarinet)
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Also from:
frogonbough (electronics &)
Blank Hell Scape at Spirit Lodge
Wednesday August 5th at Spirit Lodge; $10-15
Sprit and Hellbender Vinyl Presents: Blankhellscape (Texas)
w/ Locals
Fallstreak
Slacking
The Electric Nature
Crying Motherfuckers
Buscrates
Dog Lady; Patrick Gallagher; Angel Louis; Two Weeks and locals
Monday August 3rd at 7pm at 578 Blessing
Dog Lady
Patrick Gallagher
Angel Louis
Two Weeks
With Local Support from: Evelyn Scythe
10 to 15 dollar donation
For the many touring acts from many places
many blessings all in one place
We Take Requests quintet
8pm, July 31st at Bellefield Hall
We Take Requests Quintet
Golems of the Red Planet
Rust Belt Percussion: A Concert of New Music for Percussion
Friday July 31st, Bantha Tea Bar, $10 NOTAFLOF
A concert of new music for percussion featuring:
David Bernabo
Hellcat Sneer
Corey Denham
Ben Dumbauld
JP Kowalski
Justin Von Strasburgh
Orsan Abram
Byzantine Generals
Rob Funkhouser
Reiki + Drone (First Light Reiki, and How Things Are) Session Two
You're invited to join us for a sensory experience of Reiki and drone music. First Light Reiki's Lauren/Lo Nakamura @firstlightreiki and the duo How Things Are Navushouse to present an afternoon of healing, tranquil contemplation, and heady sound.
There are two sessions: 3:30 and 5pm. You may attend both. We ask for a sliding scale donation of $10-20 for one session or $20-40 for both sessions.
To reserve your spot, please send your donation to @firstlightreiki on Venmo — include your email address and time(s) you’re planning on attending. If you do not have Venmo, message lauren.firstlight@gmail.com to reserve your spot; we will accept cash at the event.
Looking forward to seeing you!
Reiki + Drone (First Light Reiki, and How Things Are) Session One
You're invited to join us for a sensory experience of Reiki and drone music. First Light Reiki's Lauren/Lo Nakamura @firstlightreiki and the duo How Things Are Navushouse to present an afternoon of healing, tranquil contemplation, and heady sound.
There are two sessions: 3:30 and 5pm. You may attend both. We ask for a sliding scale donation of $10-20 for one session or $20-40 for both sessions.
To reserve your spot, please send your donation to @firstlightreiki on Venmo — include your email address and time(s) you’re planning on attending. If you do not have Venmo, message lauren.firstlight@gmail.com to reserve your spot; we will accept cash at the event.
Looking forward to seeing you!
Mai Khoi and the Dissidents at City of Asylum
Pittsburgh’s resident pop star and powerhouse Mai Khôi is leaving the city and starting her next chapter in Philadelphia—but not without a rockin’ farewell show. The alumna City of Asylum Artist-in-Residence returns with her group, the Dissidents.
Mai Khôi & the Dissidents was originally formed in 2016 with Vietnamese musicians, but the group was forced to disband due to government pressure. Khôi herself fled to the US in 2019, where she has lived in exile ever since. In 2021, she re-formed Mai Khôi & the Dissidents with American musicians, alongside pianist and composer Mark Micchelli. The new band features prominent members of Pittsburgh’s jazz, experimental music, and activist communities. For this performance, Mark and Khôi have composed and arranged a powerful style of music that reflects the turmoil of the world and the hope that continues to shine.
Don’t miss this opportunity to see Mai and Mark in their farewell show and give them a warm sendoff!
Featured Musicians:
Mai Khôi: vocals
Jeff Siegfried: saxophone
Mark Micchelli: keyboards
Eli Namay: bass
PJ Roduta: drums
About the Artist:
Award-winning singer, composer, and activist Mai Khôi rose to stardom in 2010 after winning the Vietnam Television Song and Album of the Year awards. As a pop star, Khôi released seven albums in genres of Vietnamese pop and dance, and performed on national television. In 2016, her conscience was stirred after witnessing protests around the Formosa Ha Tin Steel discharge of chemical waste off the coast. Protestors were in the streets demanding transparency from the government. Instead they were subjected to mass arrests and police violence, which Khôi saw with her own eyes. After this, growing uncomfortable submitting her work to government censors but finding community with a small group of activists, Khôi nominated herself to run in the National Assembly elections on a pro-democracy platform. But her activism came at a high price: she had her concerts raided, was evicted from multiple residences, and was detained and interrogated by the police. In recognition of her work at the intersection of art and activism, Khôi was awarded the 2018 Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent and the 2022 Four Freedoms Award for Freedom of Speech. Khôi has continued her activism, finding that music and performance give her the courage to continue speaking out. She was also a City of Asylum Artist-in-Residence from 2020 to 2022.
About Your Visit:
The in-house restaurant, Cucina Alfabeto, is open for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Please visit OpenTable or call 412-435-1111 to make a reservation.