Courtesy of River City Brass.

Carnegie Music Hall
February 12
6 – 10:15 p.m.

Can’t make it down to New Orleans for Mardi Gras?

Courtesy of River City Brass.
Courtesy of River City Brass.

Treat yourself to an evening of Carnivalesque revelry right here at home—and help support one of Pittsburgh’s top performing arts groups—when River City Brass hosts its Mardi Gras Gala at Oakland’s elegant Carnegie Music Hall.

New Orleans is a mecca for unique food, music and culture, and this fête will take plenty of inspiration from The Crescent City.

Gala-goers will take a trip down to the Bayou with a cocktail hour starting at 6 p.m., a cornucopia of Nola-themed cocktails and food, special performances by River City Brass, a jazz-infused after-party, dancing and more.

Melt those winter blues away with a night of hot brass sounds led by maestro James Gourlay, who has served as artistic director of River City Brass since 2011. The hour-long concert will feature an eclectic repertoire including Mardi Gras-style sounds, as well as a special sneak peek of River City Brass’ brand new “Bollywood & Hollywood” show which the group is taking on the road to Texas in late February.

Throughout the night, attendees can use their smartphones to bid on silent auction items, including trips to New Orleans, a helmet signed by Penguin Sidney Crosby, gift baskets from Western Pennsylvania Humane Society and more.

Courtesy of River City Brass.
Courtesy of River City Brass.Patrons will also have the chance to mix and mingle with band members and see River City Brass’ talented youth band in action.
Courtesy of River City Brass.Patrons will also have the chance to mix and mingle with band members and see River City Brass’ talented youth band in action.

Patrons will receive festive beads, masks and hats to add to their duds (black tie optional), will mix and mingle with band members and will see River City Brass’ talented youth band in action.

Serving as the Master of Ceremonies for the festivities will be Jim Cunningham, who is a senior executive producer at WQED-FM and longtime host of the station’s Morning Show. The event’s 2016 honorees are community rock stars Scott Lammie, senior vice president and CFO at UPMC Health Plan, and his wife Susan.

Proceeds from the gala—which has raised between $100,000 and $150,000 in past years—will support the concerts and educational programming of River City Brass.

Can’t make the gala? You can still support River City Brass and bid on silent auction items online.

Purchase tickets. The deadline for regular ticket RSVPs is February 5th.

Jennifer BaronArts & Entertainment / Jobs Editor

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.