"Over and over until the tape deck died...
Over and over until the tape deck died..."
-- the Hold Steady
Your host: Rupe
If something about music moves you, feel free to share it. We do accept submissions and guest appearances!
Contact: Rupe33~at~AoL
Playmixt has a companion photography blog here:
http://photomixt.tumblr.com
Photo reblogged from Random Vinyl Pics with 26 notes
Rare 78 spins into trade with Jerry’s Records for drawing by R. Crumb.
Source: backwoodsnation
Photo with 2 notes
Is this Bob Dylan’s new album cover? It’s…
coming out on September 11 and produced by “Jack Frost.”
It does, however, feature an opening track called Duquesne Whistle (shout-out to my Pittsburghers).
Source: bobdylan.com
Video reblogged from PBS & Tumblr with 4,807 notes
THIS. IS. AWESOME.
Mister Rogers Remixed by Symphony of Science
Source: pbsarts
Video reblogged from Doom & Gloom From the Tomb with 25 notes
About 18 minutes of footage of THE BAND at Pittsburgh’s Syria Mosque in November 1970. Great stuff.
R.I.P. Levon Helm
The Band, performing live at The Syria Mosque, Pittsburgh, PA, November 1st, 1970.
Photo with 3 notes
Quote:
We’re Not Dead Yet is the definitive live document of this underrated band, and if you’re looking for some old-school rock ‘n’ roll cheap thrills that will rattle the plaster off your walls and won’t make you cringe in embarrassment, look no further than Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers.
Dear Blurt:
I’m officially intrigued.
Regards,
Playmixt
Source: blurt-online.com
Video with 1 note
The Clarks ruminate on their 25th Anniversary with Jim Krenn of WDVE in Pittsburgh.
Source: jimkrennraw.com
There’s a rock band out of Pittsburgh that’s been slugging it out on the circuit for 25 years now. You’ve probably not heard of them, although you might’ve seen them on Letterman or heard a tune of theirs in a movie or on TV. They’re called The Clarks. They’ve been delivering great rock music for decades in an industry where careers are measured in years. This week they are celebrating their 2,000th show along with a declaration that today is Clarks Day in the city of Pittsburgh. Additionally, they will be playing at the NHL Winter Classic this weekend, which will be at Heinz Field with the Penguins hosting the Capitals on New Year’s Day for an outdoor hockey game.
I’ve been a fan of theirs since arriving in the Burgh in 1988 for school, and it’s hard to imagine how to look back on such a career - one that is still moving forward. Had the good pleasure of meeting guitarist Rob James through a mutual friend for lunch a few times right around the time in the mid-1990s when the band were about to all quit their day jobs and make a go of rock as a full-time proposition. At the time I couldn’t imagine being more scared of that prospect, but they’ve persevered, and should be proud of the fact that they have indeed been able to do so.
If you have any illusions about what life in rock is like for a mid-level band that never really quite broke nationally, this quote from drummer Dave Minarik can put that time in perspective:
It is hard to pinpoint my most memorable experience. We have been so many places, seen so many things and made some lifelong friends. I have eaten some of the worst food along with the best I have ever tasted. I’ve stayed in hotels that were fit for a king and some that were crawling with bugs. I’ve slept on floors in cars and on road cases. Music has no sick days or vacation time. There is no such thing as overtime. The 90 minutes on stage that most people think is our work day was, most days, a 24/7 job.
That quote is from a nice article here on the Clarks. Their latest release, Songs in G, features a cover of Whiskeytown’s “16 Days,” which Rob & Scott used to play at their acoustic shows. You can hear some tracks on the player on their official website, www.clarksonline.com - both “Tonight” and their cover of Bruce’s “The River” are recommended. Go to the multimedia page to see some videos - including their Letterman appearance and a live cover of Badfinger’s “No Matter What”.
There’s a band outta Pittsburgh, been around… coming up on 25 years maybe? They’re called The Clarks. They put out a new EP yesterday which features their cover of “16 Days” by Whiskeytown. Them boys used to cover this tune when playing acoustic, and I’m so glad that they’ve recorded it.
You can get the “Songs in G” EP over at iTunes, or you can just give a listen.
Source: itunes.apple.com
Photo with 3 notes
It just hit me that my beloved Pittsburgh band from the late ’80s through the early ’90s, The Affordable Floors, had that whole red, black and white color scheme down on their posters long before a certain twosome out of Detroit.
The Floors were the greatest band in Pittsburgh in their day.
Photo reblogged from The Pittsburgh History Journal with 4 notes
![This one’s for my Pittsburghers - both present and ex-Burghers who remember like I do. Right across the street from the Allegheny County Soldiers and Sailors War Memorial (which incidentally is where the “bird cage” scenes were filmed for The Silence of the Lambs) there used to be a mighty fine music venue called the Syria Mosque. Decorated in a pseudo-Middle East fashion, at least on the outside, the interior was a fine theater with columns and balconies that hosted many a prime concert in its day.
Some bits of Syria Mosque music history:
There’s a great 1976 Genesis bootleg from this venue on the “Trick of the Tail” tour, as broadcast by WDVE-FM.
One concert I went to here was in 1989, an odd pairing of Kansas and Night Ranger. The weird thing was Night Ranger was opening, and only 4 years prior had sold out the Civic Arena where the Penguins play. At the time I liked those bands just somewhat, and mainly went because it was difficult getting into club shows if you weren’t 21 due to the byzantine and more than inconvenient liquor laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Probably the best highlight - every October they’d host a weekend-long ROCKTOBERFEST FILM FESTIVAL. Which consisted of, on the big screen with a VERY LOUD SOUND SYSTEM:PINK FLOYD THE WALL, Led Zeppelin’s THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME, and JIMI HENDRIX AT MONTEREY, which typically was preceded by a clip of Otis Redding’s incredible set there too. Typically this was sponsored by WDVE, Pittsburgh’s home of rock and roll, and the volume seemed to somehow increase with each successive film.
The sometimes dubious Wikipedia indicates Buddy Holly played there and that the building was put up in 1912.
Am pretty sure I fell asleep during The Song Remains The Same. It meanders more than a bit. Sadly, this most peculiar venue was knocked down to make a way for a parking lot. It wasn’t paradise, but it was pretty unusual architecturally speaking.
thepittsburghhistoryjournal:
Syria Mosque, Pittsburgh (via)
On This Day in Pittsburgh History: March 9, 1933 
At a rally of 2000 persons in Syria Mosque, plans were made to send a delegation to Harrisburg to fight for city-manager form of government for Pittsburgh. [Historic Pittsburgh]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kyw67wtpVy1qakblyo1_r1_500.jpg)
This one’s for my Pittsburghers - both present and ex-Burghers who remember like I do. Right across the street from the Allegheny County Soldiers and Sailors War Memorial (which incidentally is where the “bird cage” scenes were filmed for The Silence of the Lambs) there used to be a mighty fine music venue called the Syria Mosque. Decorated in a pseudo-Middle East fashion, at least on the outside, the interior was a fine theater with columns and balconies that hosted many a prime concert in its day.
Some bits of Syria Mosque music history:
- There’s a great 1976 Genesis bootleg from this venue on the “Trick of the Tail” tour, as broadcast by WDVE-FM.
- One concert I went to here was in 1989, an odd pairing of Kansas and Night Ranger. The weird thing was Night Ranger was opening, and only 4 years prior had sold out the Civic Arena where the Penguins play. At the time I liked those bands just somewhat, and mainly went because it was difficult getting into club shows if you weren’t 21 due to the byzantine and more than inconvenient liquor laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
- Probably the best highlight - every October they’d host a weekend-long ROCKTOBERFEST FILM FESTIVAL. Which consisted of, on the big screen with a VERY LOUD SOUND SYSTEM:
PINK FLOYD THE WALL, Led Zeppelin’s THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME, and JIMI HENDRIX AT MONTEREY, which typically was preceded by a clip of Otis Redding’s incredible set there too. Typically this was sponsored by WDVE, Pittsburgh’s home of rock and roll, and the volume seemed to somehow increase with each successive film. - The sometimes dubious Wikipedia indicates Buddy Holly played there and that the building was put up in 1912.
Am pretty sure I fell asleep during The Song Remains The Same. It meanders more than a bit. Sadly, this most peculiar venue was knocked down to make a way for a parking lot. It wasn’t paradise, but it was pretty unusual architecturally speaking.
Syria Mosque, Pittsburgh (via)
On This Day in Pittsburgh History: March 9, 1933
At a rally of 2000 persons in Syria Mosque, plans were made to send a delegation to Harrisburg to fight for city-manager form of government for Pittsburgh. [Historic Pittsburgh]
