— Pittsburgh May Day Brass BBQ
PITTON
KA
TONK
SATURDAY MAY 16, 2020
VIETNAM VETERANS PAVILION
PITTSBURGH, PA
Pittonkatonk is music without boundaries. Since 2014, Pittonkatonk is music in public spaces that belong to everyone, with no stage, no doors, and no right way to express yourself.
Balkan Brass, Cumbia,
Hip-Hop, Big Bands &
Social Justice.
A one of a kind musical festival, free and open to all, connecting the dots between community, organizers, and euphoric musical experiences.
REVIEWS
Pittonkatonk is more than just the annual picnic; it also does educational outreach year-round in the Sto-Rox school district and elsewhere. But the picnic is its keynote event, last year drawing a crowd estimated at about 3,000.
Bill O’Discoll
WESA 90.5 FM
Authentic and grassroots, Pittonkatonk erases boundaries between performers and attendees, which means there are no stages, green rooms, tickets or corporate sponsors. Sounds representing West Africa, Chicago, Providence and more will fill the pavilion and spill into the park actively engaging listeners in live performance. It’s uplifting to see, hear, and be a part of.
Jennifer Baron
NEXT Pittsburgh
“You’re part of something bigger, something magical. You’re part of something where everyone values you for who you are. And in that moment, you can totally let loose and be free.”
Meg Fair
Pittsburgh City Paper
The focus of Pittonkatonk is on community. It’s about bringing together people who might otherwise never convene, and blurring the line between performer and spectator.
Caralyn Green
Pittsburgh City Paper
PITTONKATONK 2020 is coming!
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TIME: PITTONKATONK KICKS OFF AT 1pm
DATE : SATURDAY MAY 16, 2020
WHERE: VIETNAM VETERANS PAVILION (Schenley Park)
The bands!
May Day Marching Band
— About UsMAY DAY MARCHING BAND The May Day Marching Band, an inclusive community-based band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The band formed in 2009 as part of the first annual May Day Parade in Pittsburgh's Polish Hill neighborhood. Since then, their presence in the...
Big Blitz
— About UsBIG BLITZ Big Blitz is a Pittsburgh based band that was born from the sounds of dance, rock, and jazz improvisation. This trio is comprised of Lucas Ciesielski (Baritone and Tenor Sax), Nick Grabigel (Drums and Guitar), and Mason Ciesielski (Tenor Sax and...
Afro Yaqui Music Collective
— About UsAFRO YAQUI MUSIC COLLECTIVE Afro Yaqui Music Collective came together in Pittsburgh in response to the rapidly changing political climate, in which working immigrant communities have become under attack, and climate change has threatened peoples across the...
Kiko Villamizar
— About UsKIKO VILLAMIZAR Born in Miami to Colombian parents was taken to Colombia as a child and raised on a coffee farm where he learned Colombian folk music through oral tradition with his family. He studied jazz in Miami, then began traveling, collecting melodies...
Blak Rapp M.A.D.U.S.A.
— About UsBLAK RAPP M.A.D.U.S.A. Blak Rapp M.A.D.U.S.A. is a rapper, poet, activist and historian. M.A.D.U.S.A. (also known as Melanie Carter) and whose name is an acronym for ‘Making A Difference Using Skills and Activism’ has a degree in Africana Studies from the...
Novi Hitovi
— About Us NOVI HITOVI BRASS BAND Novi Hitovi Brass Band is a super group of flaming hot South Serbian-style dance party brass featuring members of What Cheer Brigade, Slavic Soul Party, Zlatne Uste, Raya Brass Band, and more. "Often completely unhinged and highly...
Zlatne Uste
— About UsZLATNE USTE From kolos to Kusturica, the band has performed with Šaban Bajramovic and played and studied with many other legendary Roma musicians from Eastern Europe. Five-time invited guest at the Dragačevo Brass Festival in Guča, Serbia, Zlatne Uste...
Colonel Eagleburger’s Highstepping Goodtime Band
Colonel Eagleburger’s Highstepping Goodtime Band Pittsburgh’s very own Highstepping band found at rallies, parties, community events, and anywhere a brass band is needed.
1Hood Media
— About Us 1Hood Media 1Hood Media is a collective of socially conscious artists and activists who utilize art as a means of raising awareness about social justice matters affecting people around the world. have a watch & Listen.
The Detroit Party Marching Band
— About Us The Detroit Party Marching Band The Detroit Party Marching Band is an ever-evolving collective of 25 + Detroit area musicians devoted to frenetic revelry, driving jams, and the power of the un- amplified horn blast. Their music celebrates the spirit of...
What Cheer? Brigade
What Cheer? Brigade is a brass band with approximately 18 active members from Providence, Rhode Island. They perform using exclusively brass instruments, saxophones, and drums in a variety of world styles, such as Indian Bollywood music, Balkan brass, klezmer, as well as American styles.
come visit & participate in the activist greenhouse.
A community resource tent of Social and Environmental Justice Organizations. Presented in collaboration with New Sun Rising
Pittonkatonk is commissioning new music about justice to world premiere on May 11, 2019, featuring collaborations with:
May Day Marching Band & Casa San Jose SOY
Focusing on
Immigration & Equality
Afro Yaqui Music Collective & 1Hood & Sio-Rox Marching Band
Focusing on
Water Quality
Lemon Bucket Orkestra and Sto Rox Marching Band
Focusing on
Cultural Exchange
Hugo Cruz and Caminos
Collaboration with Cuba percussionist and African American Music Institute
But, What is Pittonkatonk?
Education
Through educational programming and community events, Pittonkatonk encourages social engagement between musicians, audiences, and community members, in ways that blur the lines between performer and spectator. We focus on supporting music education in Pittsburgh area high schools.
Event
The annual Pittonkatonk May Day BBQ is a volunteer-supported celebration attended by more than 3,500 people. On a Saturday in May, [the Pittsburgh community] gathers at the Schenley Park Veterans Pavilion to hear performances from local, national and international activist bands, and interact with social and environmental justice organizations.
Activism
This year, three Pittsburgh artists will write new songs in collaboration with social justice organizers, The Social Impact Experience. The project encourages artists to form deep working relationships with environmental and social justice organizations that work to get their message out in creative ways.
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Pittonkatonk is
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