Michael Mwenso.

August Wilson Center
April 30
8 p.m.

Celebrate International Jazz Day, relive the glory days of legendary local jazz and disco haunts, and enjoy a precursor to the highly anticipated JazzLive International Festival returning in June during a night filled with rhythms, grooves and cuisine celebrating Pittsburgh’s rich musical heritage.

Noel Quintana.
Noel Quintana.

Transforming downtown’s recently reopened August Wilson Center into an urban musical streetscape, “Rhythm & Groove” pays homage to the sights, sounds and environs of Pittsburgh’s beloved musical meccas for a vibrant night filled with the flowing sounds of jazz, blues, salsa, disco and funk.

Spend a spring night “club hopping” throughout the August Wilson Center, which will be decked out as a bustling jazz club, disco dancing hot spot, intimate speakeasy and hip art lounge all under one roof—think: The Crawford Grill, Savoy Ballroom, Balcony and 2001.

Presented by The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, the event will feature an impressive roster of live performances by nationally acclaimed and locally-based musicians and acts whose sets will span a diverse range of musical genres and styles. Featured artists include jazz entertainer Michael Mwenso and the Harlem Shakes, jazz vocalist Brianna Thomas, prominent salsa orchestra Noel Quintana and the Latin Crew, funk outfit Lyndsey Smith and Soul Distribution, DJ Soy Sos, Dwayne Dolphin’s Balcony Big Band, and DJ SMI.

Courtesy Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.
Courtesy Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.

Rhythm & Groovers will also be treated to bourbon tasting flights crafted by Raise Your Spirits and sumptuous, chef-inspired bites from Revel + Roost, Cioppino, Savoy, Braddock’s Pittsburgh Brasserie, Willow, Capital Grille and Eddie Merlot’s.

General admission tickets are $35 and include: event admission, restaurant offerings, one drink ticket, and a one-year membership with the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. JazzLive VIP tickets are $125 and additionally include: a private VIP lounge with an open bar, appetizers and bourbon tastings, an exclusive performance by DJ Soy Sos, and VIP benefits at the Pittsburgh JazzLive International Festival in June. Open to ages 21 and up.

Purchase tickets.

Looking for more events? Read our 12 Pittsburgh events not to miss in April feature.

Jennifer has worked at the Mattress Factory, Brooklyn Museum of Art and Dahesh Museum of Art and is co-author of Pittsburgh Signs Project: 250 Signs of Western Pennsylvania. She also is co-coordinator of Handmade Arcade. Musically, she is in a band called The Garment District and is a founding member of Brooklyn's The Ladybug Transistor.