Scott Mervis
July 3, 2008
The new home on the Schenley Plaza was a winner for the WYEP Summer
Music Festival last Saturday night.
The station packed an estimated 3,000 people into the
one-acre space for a concert headlined by The Old 97's.
"It was great on every conceivable level," says
Lee Ferraro, WYEP general manager. "The Parks Conservancy was
great to work with. It was a big open space, there were gardens to walk around
in, food kiosks, the merry-go-round for kids. It was also centrally located, so
people could bike there, walk or take mass transit very easily."
In previous years, the concert was held at the
Riverfront Park on the North Shore, in conjunction with World Cafe at The
Warhol, which did not happen this year because host David Dye wants to spend
more time with family.
The show got off to a good start with Good
Night, States, a local indie-pop band getting a strong push with the
single "Killer of the One." Juliana Hatfield played a moody duo
set that probably would have worked better in an intimate club but was bolstered
by the piano work and harmonies of Pittsburgh native Elizabeth
Steen. The Watson Twins, promising newcomers from
L.A., came on strong with bright folk harmonies.
When The Old 97's hit the stage with songs like
"Timebomb" and "Barrier Reef," it was a bona fide rock concert with blankets and
chairs tossed aside and everyone up for a high energy set of Texas-style
alt-country twang. The Dallas band, which had taken a break for Rhett
Miller's solo career, seems to be back with new vigor, rocking as hard
or harder than it did in the early '90s.
On top of that, Ferraro says, the band gave them a break
on the fee to make their set possible.
He adds that as long as the Parks Conservancy is willing
and the sponsorships are there, the festival will return to the same spot next
year.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette