Big Big Birthday Party at the Shadow Lounge
Come celebrate the Shadow Lounge turning 6
And the Birthday’s of Hilary Brown, Justin Strong and SMI
Doors Open at 9pm
Free Food and Cake
DJ Selecta and Vinny (* I can attest that Shadow Lounge always, always, always has good music)
Thanks to a reader (Hi Rachel!) for just pointing out that Shanice, who hit the Billboard charts in the late-80s and early-90s with songs like “I Love Your Smile” and “Saving Forever For You” is from the ‘burgh. Fact, she is from Hays Manor, in McKees Rocks, PA. So forget H-Town for your early 90s R&B needs, we got SHANICE! She just came out with an album in 2006 … check it out!
This reminds me of another DIVA who grew up in the ‘burgh. Every few months I put the groovadelic very best of Deee-lite album in rotation. During its most recent pass-through my CD player, I found out that Lady Miss Kier was born in Youngstown, Ohio and then actually spent her childhood in Pittsburgh and Sewickley while her moms went to college here. But unfortunately:
“When she was nine, Kier designed her brownie outfit so that it would include brown bell-bottom pants. The troop rewarded her by kicking her out.”
Oh well. That’s okay because … (I can’t believe this), while doing this search, I found out that Snap! has Pittsburgh roots?! Huh? According to this site:
This Pittsburgh male/female dance duo had a huge international smash in 1990 with “The Power.” London-based rapper Turbo B and his cousin Jackie Harris teamed on “The Power,” with Harris’ curdling vocal elevating Turbo B’s pedestrian rap.
It’s true! Turbo-B was born in Pittsburgh, and was a session drummer for Maze and Chaka Chan; he toured with the Fat Boys. Thea Austin is also from here; she co-wrote some songs for Snap! is still busting out some wicked dance hits today.
I feel like I’ve been violated. How could I have lived my life not knowing that “Rhythm is a Dancer” or for God’s sakes – “I Got the Power!” – started with Pittsburgh angst? Let this code of silence now be broken!
So kids, what have we learned today? Pittsburgh + 90s = Represent. As Miss Kier would say, “Ooh la la, la la-la-la-la-la!”
On Saturday night I got my dance on at the Pittsburgh Deli Company and I heard sounds for the first time in years. As I waxed nostalgic about the late 80s/early 90s (dear God), I started thinking about The Box. Or as us OGs remember it – The Juke Box.
Even before I googled it, I remembered The Box as Channel 29 on our non-cable television set. The Pittsburgh Area Radio and TV Stations site tells us:
29 WIIC-LP IND PITTSBURGH PA
WBPA was at one time (mid-80’s?) the “Video Jukebox” or just “The Box” – an automated (and low power) UHF station that you could dial up with a 976 number to play videos by request. WIIC broadcasts MTV2 locally originated programming. WIIC-LP was known as W29AV until 2/6/2002. Owned by Abacus Television Network.
And Wiki sez:
The Jukebox Network was a cable and satellite television service which allowed their viewers the ability to dial a telephone number enter a code and the latest or a classic music video that was requested was played on their TV. At first all of the Jukebox request lines used a large block of Miami, Florida telephone numbers and callers were only charged for a long distance call, However realizing that they needed to make money Jukebox switched to the pay-per call 1-900 line service in which callers were charged from $1.99 to $3.99 per call to make a request of up to three videos. The company was acquired by MTV Networks and Jukebox’s programming was replaced with a new channel called MTV2.
Oh, The Box. I was never allowed to call 1-900 from my house, so I always went over a friend’s house, where we’d sneak in requests. I mean, honestly, $3.99 was a lot for a 12-year-old! I remember watching those scrolling lists of videos for hours before something would pop up. But then, of course, when you finally made the freakin’ phone call, you’d have to wait for another 4 hours to see it. Some videos I remember playing over and over from that era include:
And of course, your R. Kelly, Boyz II Men, and Bel Biv Devoe standards. Am I the only one that remembers these days???
By the way, I was totally amused to find out that The Box still exists in the UK. And their tagline is still the same: “Music Television You Control.”
But here’s the thing: since Viacom bought The Box, you can now get MTV2 on all your non-cable television sets. (I didn’t know this, and I remember turning on the TV a few years ago and thinking I was just lucky.) Yep, it’s still Channel 29, but you might need some rabbit ears and aluminum foil for your antenna.
I hope we all enjoyed this walk down memory lane. This has got me thinking … I really need to have Shanice’s “I love your smile” on call at my wedding. Or LL Cool J – Around the Way Girl. Or maybe Color Me Badd – I Adore Mi Amore …*giggle*
Oh yes. It’s HOTNESS, our favorite fuschia-wearin’ silver-sequined spectacle on the Pittsburgh muzack scene. Lindsay and I became Hotness fans when we first saw him play at the Shadow Lounge last year. And we were so excited when we found that the party anthem “We Gotta!” now has a MUSIC VIDEO. (“I got a feeling / from the boredom patrol / that we gotta! / get this party started right now!”) Take that, Pink.
This March 2005 article from the City Paper explains why we love Hotness:
“At a typical show, he does most everything on the fly, often playing along to a CD of pre-recorded material, improvising lyrics and dancing clumsily as he goes. He passes out pots, pans, muffin tins and other kitchen utensils, encouraging the audience to add its own percussion; most enthusiastically comply. At a recent house show in South Oakland, the crowded basement full of twentysomethings took the notion to heart, banging on heating vents while Doggett sang his party anthem, “If You Are What You Eat, Then I Must Eat a Lot of Awesome,â€Â? which commands, “If the party’s inside, let’s go inside,â€Â? and “if the party’s in the tree, let’s get in the tree,â€Â? among other poeticisms.”
Note: “If You Are What You Eat, Then I Must Eat a Lot of Awesome” does not yet have a music video.
You can see Hotness and friend Weird Paul for FREE!! next Thursday April 27. at the Quiet Storm. They will be playing the “Be Well Healthcare Resources for the Uninsured” zine release event at 8PM.
Come to think of it, Hotness is more like Pittsburgh’s answer to Norway’s Hurra Torpedo. Now isn’t that something! We don’t have to travel to Norway to see music made with kitchen appliances!
So if you go to our myspace profile you will hear the most badassest song about Picks-berrrrrrgh ever. Seriously. When do you ever hear St. Clair Village, Mt. Oliver, Knoxville, Arlington and Carrick mentioned in the same breath with such respect and UNITY?
It’s brought to us by Tee-Jay, a Pittsburgh native. This man has skills.
You can purchase his upcoming album My Testimony on April 25th from his myspace page. It will also be available from Stedeford’s Records, located at 417 East Ohio Street on the North Side since 1964.
Please buy local:
“When you spend $100 at the chain Borders Books & Music, your purchase creates only $13 worth of local economic activity. That same $100 spent at a locally owned book or record store generates $45, or more than three times as much local economic activity.� Conclusion of a new study, Economic Impact Analysis: A Case Study conducted by Civic Economics, published by Livable City in Austin, Texas. (brought to us by Sustainable Pittsburgh.)
On that note, check out these upcoming local performances:
