Def Leppard, Journey, and Steve Miller at PNC; AE has Guster; Smokey Robinson at Celebrity Care Fest; Joe Grushecky & Houserockers Album Release Event at City Winery (Sat., 7/27/24)

A top-selling, classic rock band, Def Leppard is one of only five bands that have had two original studio albums with sales of over 10 million each. The others sharing this distinction are The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, and Pink Floyd. Top songs like “Photograph” and “Pour Some Sugar on Me” are some of the reasons for Def Leppard’s massive success. Leppard is touring behind their latest album Diamond Star Halos, which was released in 2022. The album takes its name from a lyric in the 1971 T. Rex song “Get It On.” It reached no. 1 on the Billboard Rock and Metal chart. “The Wheel in the Sky” keeps on turnin’ and luckily keeps Journey on tour with stops in Pittsburgh.  It’s been over 40 years since the band originally formed, and they haven’t stopped rocking (or believing!) since. Indeed, the band famous for “Don’t Stop Believin’” has been absolutely relentless in their success over the years; to date, their Greatest Hits album has sold more than 15 million copies. Lead singer Steve Perry left the group for a solo career first in the mid-eighties and then again in the nineties. Several other singers have fronted the band. Since 2007 Journey has featured a talented Filipino lead singer, Arnel Pineda, who lead guitarist Neal Schon, saw do an amazing cover of  “Don’t Stop Believin‘” on YouTube and asked him to audition for the band. They were highly impressed and asked him to join Journey. 2022’s Freedom is the group’s most recent release. In the 1970s, the Steve Miller Band was one of the hottest acts around. Miller was born in Milwaukee and grew up in Dallas, where in high school he met friend and future bandmate (for one year) Boz Scaggs. He also lived in Chicago and New York before settling in San Francisco and finding his groove. His first taste of major chart success came in 1973 with The Joker, with the title single hitting number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. When the follow-up album, Fly Like an Eagle, dropped in 1976, the title single flew up the charts—nesting at number two. The song speaks to finding a solution for humanity’s ills. A song chronicling two young lovers—who were also bandits and wanted by the police—was another of Eagle’s hits: “Take the Money and Run.” Every time Texas is referenced in the song, it’s followed by five hand claps. 1977 saw the release of Book of Dreams, which generated the hits “Jungle Love” and “Jet Airliner.” With all that success, Miller’s career zenith was definitely in the 1970s, but he has released other quality material over the years. A popular draw on the concert circuit, Miller and his band continue to shine. 6 p.m. PNC Park, 115 Federal St., North Shore. (R.H.)

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Guster has been on the national music scene since 1991, scoring hits that you probably know by ear if not by name. (“Satellite,” from 2006’s Ganging Up on the Sun, is one.) The alt rockers formed in the Boston area, but they love Pittsburgh—and they love to have fun. In January of 2016, when a snowstorm kept them from making it to a concert elsewhere, Guster played an impromptu set in the snow in front of a dumpster on Pittsburgh’s North Side. That summer they appeared at the Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival, with then-Mayor Bill Peduto joining the members for a hastily composed song about Pittsburgh. And this spring they again did a popup gig on the streets of the city. Now comes the next chance to catch Guster live on a real stage. They’re touring in support of their new album Ooh La La, their ninth studio release. But the tour is called the “We Also Have Eras” Tour, so expect to hear songs from every Guster era at Stage AE. Special guest is Kahone Concept. 7 p.m. 400 North Shore Dr., North Shore. (C.M., M.V.)

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Wouldn’t it be great if someone you knew had a big backyard, and they wanted to hold a charitable fundraiser with big name entertainers? And they knew legendary concert promoter Rich Engler? Well, that’s exactly what’s been happening for the last seven years at the home of Patrick and Debra Hampson in Gibsonia. Past entertainers have included Peter Frampton, Lou Gramm and Foreigner, KC and the Sunshine Band, Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire, Grand Funk Railroad, The Temptations, and The Jacksons. The concert fun started last evening with a dinner on a covered courtyard at the Hampson home with Queen V and Pat Benatar and her husband and bandmate Neil Giraldo performing. Celebrity Care Fest for UPMC Childrens Hospital, continues tonight with Smokey Robinson and BK Jackson. There are many different levels of tickets and sponsorships available. From single event tickets to options including dinner, open bar, and other VIP accouterments. Catering is provided by Walnut Grill. Businesses and individuals can also support the event through numerous branding and signage sponsorship opportunities. For tickets and more information on all these various options see the Celebrity Care Fest website. 

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Joe Grushecky and The Houserockers are Pittsburgh rock royalty that have risen through several incarnations—from the Brick Alley Band to Joe Grushecky and the Iron City Houserockers to the unit’s present day form—Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers—to become one of Pittsburgh’s top bands. Over the years Grushecky’s sound is one of both hard-driving rock and roll and insightful ballads. The lyrics and music seek higher ground, and find it. Top songs include “Pumping Iron,” “Have a Good Time (But Get Out Alive),” and “Rock and Real.” Grushecky has recently released Joe Grushecky Houserocker: A Joe Grushecky Anthology and on July 12 released a fantastic new album, Can’t Outrun a Memory.  Joe Grushecky and the Houserocker’s are holding an album release show for Can’t Outrun a Memory this evening. See our story and interview with Grushecky about the new release. Hear Grushecky classics and hot new tunes at City Winery 1627 Smallman St., Strip District. (R.H.)

5) OpenStreetsPGH is a fun event during which neighborhood streets are closed to auto traffic in certain parts of the city, so people can roll on through, whether biking, walking, or skateboarding. There are plenty of activities along the way as well. Organized by the nonprofit BikePGH, the OpenStreetsPGH events are scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the last one of the season, July 27. Different routes are explored on each date. For more info, check out the OpenStreetsPGH website. (R.H.)

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