Event Type : Ticketed Concert

“Whenever we’re onstage, we’re just trying to throw a party,” says Clay Street Unit’s Sam Walker. “Life’s hard enough already. We want to remind people to let loose, love each other, and enjoy themselves.”

Celebration. Catharsis. Friendship. It’s all part of Sin & Squalor, Clay Street Unit’s full-length debut. Recorded in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and inspired by the sounds of the Appalachians, it’s a record that blurs the borders between genre and geography. The result is a singular interpretation of American roots music — a sound that mixes the acoustic instrumentation of bluegrass and folk with the amplified energy of Americana and country. Driven forward by drums, sharp songwriting, and the chemistry of six good friends and musical brothers who’ve shared countless hours on stage, Sin & Squalor doesn’t just nod to Clay Street Unit’s wide spread of influences; it reshapes them into something new.

As a band that strives to maintain a healthy equilibrium between their diverse musical backgrounds and the traditional Appalachian sounds, they have wowed audiences across the entire spectrum. This progressively minded Bluegrass act truly feels at home on any stage. They’ve provided direct support for bluegrass legends such as The Seldom Scene, Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen, Yonder Mountain String Band and Larry Keel. On the other side of that coin, they aren’t afraid to get weird at a late night festival slot and have become well known for their tastefully balanced and refreshingly diverse song-writing. Catch their live show and you’ll be sure to receive a full helping of hard-driving bluegrass favorites and heart-wrenching country ballads. Dig into their recorded originals, however, and you’ll find tracks ranging from thoughtful folk lyricism to gritty tales of harrowing adventure.

The Plate Scrapers’ passion for bluegrass and performing shines through their music and performances.  Such is evident in their musical prowess and creative chemistry on stage, guaranteeing a unique and immersive experience each time. The band continues to be fueled by loyal fans and an unrelenting drive to continue moving forward…casually.

As John R. Miller began work on his fifth album, The Great Unknowing, he set out to challenge himself both creatively and geographically. Born in the Washington, DC area and raised in West Virginia, Miller has built a reputation as a thoughtful, boundary-pushing voice in alt-country and Americana, drawing from punk, traditional Appalachian music, and less conventional rock influences. For this record, he left his comfort zone behind and traveled to Tulsa to record at the legendary Church Studio, drawn by the city’s deep musical legacy and its ties to artists like J.J. Cale. Co-produced with longtime collaborator Adam Meisterhans, the album was tracked live with a band of Tulsa-based musicians, including Grammy-nominated John Fullbright, under the steady hand of veteran engineers Gary Laney and Mike Prado. The result is Miller’s most ambitious work to date — a spacious, textured collection that expands on the critically praised Depreciated and Heat Comes Down, blending road-worn storytelling, fuzzy atmospheres, and reflections on movement, memory, and change. Rooted in his West Virginia past yet shaped by constant travel and new collaborations, The Great Unknowing captures an artist trusting the process, embracing risk, and letting the groove lead the way.

Jim Donovan and The Sun King Warriors are best described as a blend of rhythm heavy roots rock, with a strong dose of big barreling drums. Think bluesy Zeppelin-esqe bombast, Santana style percussion with wild Avett Brothers energy.

At a Sun King show, you can expect to dance, sweat and have the time of your life.

The band’s music has garnered radio airplay throughout the US and Canada, and has appeared on Billboard’s Americana chart multiple times.

The band plays regionally at festivals and clubs throughout the mid-atlantic and have opened for 10,000 Maniacs, Donovan’s former band Rusted Root and many others.

Jim Donovan, the band’s founder and writer brings almost three decades of experience to the Sun King Warriors. As a member of the popular 90’s band Rusted Root, he helped shaped the group’s sound and toured with legendary including The Grateful Dead, members of Led Zeppelin, Carlos Santana and the Allman Brothers.

He also co-authored the band’s biggest hit, “Send Me on My Way,” which has been streamed over 100 million times on Spotify and used as the wakeup music for NASA’s Mars rover.

Press quotes:

“Jim Donovan and Sun King Warriors are one of the most eclectic and exciting bands to come out in some time…” -The Washington Times
“Sun King Warriors channel unabashed enthusiasm into a series of songs that are both rowdy and rejuvenating…” -Relix Magazine

Fruition. Three songwriters. Five bandmates. More than 15 years together, building a grassroots audience with a combination of stacked vocal harmonies and collaborative, song-driven Americana. Fruition is proof that there’s strength in numbers. The bandʻs recent releases have showcased a reinvigorated group at the peak of its powers. This is American roots music at its broadest and boldest — a melting pot of rock, soul, folk, and pop. What began as a busking string band has evolved into something more eclectic, rooted not only in the unique delivery of three different singers, but also the cohesion of five friends who prefer their music to be homegrown and honest… mistakes and all. “…there’s a brittle wisdom on this album, a sense of having to piece oneself back together and finding strength in a shared voice,” said Rolling Stone of their 2024 album, How To Make Mistakes. You can expect more music and a new album later this year.

The Band will re-create the legendary Graffiti Showcase performance that ultimately became the “Alcohol Abuse Live” record. This launched them into the regional zeitgeist as THE band not to miss, because you never knew what would happen on stage next! The audiences were electric, and that show was absolutely bananas!  

The band is back in that rare form once again and prepared to bring the blistering insanity of 1999 back to the stages of Western PA this summer!

Here is a bio if you want more

About The Buzz Poets:
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Buzz Poets have been one of Pittsburgh’s most colorful, maniacal and solid bands since 1997 when the flashy and trashy band of rockers first hit the Pittsburgh music scene. Their high energy, alt rock style got people’s attention not only for the stage antics and lyrical content, but for having very well written and memorable songs. The music is all over the map stylistically demonstrating the bands love for everything from the pop punk and ska sounds of 311 and Sublime to Seattle grunge rock, to hip hop and reggae, and of course their love for the Beatles as a songwriting foundation is apparent. Having written some classic radio hits like “Copenhagen Girl”  “Psycho”, and “Parasite” the band played 200+ shows a year for many years, but the most meaningful song the band has ever written is “Angel Eyes” about the tragic loss of a dear friend. These days the band makes rare reunion appearances and consists of Tipper (Vocals, Guitar) Phil MacDowell (vocals, guitar) Tim Gaber (bass, vocals), Justin Sarra (keys, turntables), Ronnie Lavella (drums) and Juan Vasquez (guitar, vocals) The guys continue to bring the energy and the music that the loyal fans have known and loved for decades.