Kollar John Slovak Society
December 19
8:30 p.m. – 2 a.m.
If you missed the culminating HughShows’ Live concert on December 13th at Edie’s, you still have one more great opportunity to enjoy an extravaganza of local music before the New Year.
On Friday, Dec. 19th, three local music entities—HughShows, the Deutschtown Music Festival and Wild Kindness Records—are teaming up to present an all-star concert dubbed Secret Santapalooza.
Those lucky enough to have snagged tickets to the sold-out event will enjoy the gift of local music this holiday season. In a creative twist on the one-day mini musical festival, Secret Santapalooza features Pittsburgh bands covering other Pittsburgh bands—and jamming with each other for special sets. Keeping the setting cozy—and very local—the one-of-a-kind musical revue is setting up shop at the South Side-based Kollar Club (aka the Kollar John Slovak Society).
Sharing the stage at Secret Santapalooza will be both established and emerging Pittsburgh-based bands, including Grand Piano, The Harlan Twins, Chet Vincent & The Big Bend, Andrè Costello and the Cool Minors, The Red Western, Ghost Guts, Satin Gum and Chrome Moses.
The Pittsburgh musical luminaries are also joining forces to support an important local cause. Part of an ongoing series of benefit events supporting local rock hero, fiction writer and Sound Cat Records owner Karl Hendricks, who was diagnosed with oral cancer in early 2014, as proceeds from Secret Santapalooza will help support Karl’s medical bills, his family and his recovery process.
The festive event also celebrates the culmination of HughShows Live, a free all-ages monthly concert series that took place throughout 2014 at Downtown-based Eide’s Entertainment. Both HughShows Live and Secret Santapalooza are the brainchild of intrepid Pittsburgh music blogger and photographer Hugh Twyman, who is marking 10 years “covering the indie music scene one photo at a time.” On his daily blog, Twyman features a Q&A dubbed First/Last, where he asks musicians to share personal stories about their first concert attended and favorite album. Since 2004, Twyman has documented 1,200-plus bands on his blog, where local musicians share cyberspace with legendary artists like Brian Wilson, Mavis Staples and The Lumineers.
