KC and The Sunshine Band Play Rivers Casino; Deutschtown Music Fest Kicks Off; Cultural Trust Gallery Crawl (Fri., 7/12/19)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OM7zRfHG0no

1)  KC and The Sunshine Band rose out of the ’70s music scene in Miami, Florida. Creating classic dance grooves including “That’s The Way I Like It,” “Get Down Tonight,” “I’m You’re Boogie Man,” and “Give It Up,” they achieved massive success. U.S. music charts in the mid to late ’70’s were often populated by the band’s numerous hits. KC and the Sunshine Band have been nominated for nine Grammy Awards, winning three. When disco/dance music faded and punk music rose in the early ’80s, KC retired for a while until brought back by popular demand in 1991. Rivers Casino, 777 Casino Dr., Pittsburgh (RH)

Friday, July 12 and Saturday, July 13

2) The Deutschtown Music Festival helps to promote local music and a neighborhood hidden in plain sight. Also known as East Allegheny, Deutschtown is east of the Children’s Museum and Allegheny Commons Park. The neighborhood is home to some lively bars and restaurants; many will serve as venues as will seven outdoor stages. Now in its seventh year and once a Saturday-only event, the festival has spilled into Friday. The lineup features over 300 Pittsburgh acts, including Jim Donovan & the Sun King Warriors, Murder for Girls, Drowning Clowns, Garter Shake, Gene the Werewolf, Chet Vincent and the Big Bend, The Weird Paul Rock Band, LoFi Delphi, Jenn Wertz, Tupelo and Noah, André Costello and the Cool Minors, Jon Bañuelos, The Telephone Line, Native Alloys, Zoob, Bindley Hardware, Jenny and the Jags, Standard Broadcast, and Decaffeinated Grapefruit. Bluegrass, punk, rap, rock, and other genres are represented. Some venues, like Penn Brewery, are outside Deutschtown. Check out the festival’s website for a complete list of venues and acts. Food trucks, art vendors, and a beer garden will be on site. Friday, July 13, 2–11:45 p.m., and Saturday, July 14, 11 a.m.–1 a.m.  There will also be a Gospel Brunch on Sunday with live music from 9 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. Free. Deutschtown (East Allegheny), North Side. (CM)

Jim Donvan (jumping guitarist) & the Sun King Warriors. Photo: Erica Dilcer.

3) Gallery Crawl in the Cultural District is happening tonight; it features visual arts, musical performances, and interactive exhibits. All events are free and take place at a variety of galleries, art spaces, and venues. Some galleries offer drinks and hors d’oeuvres. What a great way to sample some of Pittsburgh’s great arts and entertainment! 5:30 – 10 p.m., Cultural District.

4) Did you know that Pittsburgh has a summer opera festival? It runs from July 12 to 28 this year, staged expertly by Pittsburgh Festival Opera, a nonprofit founded in 1978. (Highlights of the 2017 festival are shown above.) The opening-night opera this summer is Richard Strauss’s late-life comic/mythic masterpiece, The Love of Danae, while a big item on the bill is Richard Wagner’s thunderous The Valkyrie, with performances on July 19, 21, and 27. Also featured are Mister Rogers’ Operas—a program of two one-acts composed by Fred Rogers, and first performed on his long-running PBS show (July 13, 14, 20, and 25)—and a children’s opera, Anna Young’s The Enchanted Forest (July 13, 20, and 27). There’s more, including a recital of Kurt Weill songs by contralto Daphne Alderson. You won’t need opera glasses, because Pittsburgh Festival Opera performs even the big shows in a mid-sized venue: the Falk Auditorium at Winchester Thurston School. Foreign-language operas have English translations projected. Check the PFO website for details and exact locations of various performances; they’re all within a very close radius. Performances continue through July 28. Winchester Thurston’s auditorium is at 555 Morewood Ave. with the side entrance on Ellsworth, Shadyside. (MV)

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