2015 musicSPACE Artists Announced

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust announces the summer line up for its 2015 musicSPACE Series. These monthly all-ages performances in the final Friday of each month showcase the Cultural District in Downtown Pittsburgh and the talent of Pittsburgh musicians. The musicSPACE series invites Steel City dwellers to enjoy the talent of local musicians after hours in a visual art gallery.

Tickets are $5 at the door, and doors open at 8 p.m., with music beginning at 8:30 p.m., unless otherwise noted. All proceeds benefit the artists. All concerts and take place at SPACE gallery, 812 Liberty Avenue. MusicSPACE is organized by Wood Street Galleries Curatorial Assistant Amy Staggs.

Schedule

Friday, July 31 at 8:30 p.m. | The Wreckids and Mark Dignam
Friday, August 28 at 8:30 p.m. | The Commonheart and Gypsy and His Band of Ghosts

Artist Biographies

Born in Ireland, Mark Dignam grew up in the adventurous North Side Dublin suburb of Finglas, His father was a truck driver, his Mother was a typical Irish housewife of the time, except she sang around the house - a lot.

First, busking on city streets for pocket change and exposure, along with his friends, Glen Hansard (The Frames, The Swell Season, Oscar winner for best song for the indie movie - Once), Mic Christopher (The Mary Janes), Kila (Irish Traditional supergroup) among others; they quickly became the darlings of Grafton Street, a well-known center, of Dublin busking,; counting among their audience such luminaries as The Waterboys, Van Morrison, and Sinead O'Connor.

Mark struck out on his own in the nineties, releasing the acclaimed Poetry and Songs From the Wheel in 1995. The album, named a top ten best debut of 1995 by Ireland's Hot Press Magazine, cementing Mark's reputation as a powerful voice on the singer/songwriter circuit.

He's continued to release records, from 1997's In a Time of Overstatement, a stark collection of spiritual and political musings, to 2005's Box Heart Man, chosen as one of WYEP Pittsburgh's top picks for 2005. Mark has been invited to open for, or tour with: The Swell Season, David Gray, Billy Bragg, Joan Armatrading, Richard Thompson, Mike Nichols (of The Alarm) among others...

Today, when he isn't touring with his band "The House of Song," or at home with his family, Mark is in the studio preparing his long-awaited follow up to Box Heart Man, Re-Build, recorded live at Treelady Studios in Pennsylvania. For more information and music, visit markdignam.com.

The Wreckids (formerly Scotts Roger) is a husband and wife acoustic duo currently living in Pittsburgh. Their music can be described as easy going folk, but is also lively and contemporary. Most songs feature Scott playing the acoustic guitar and singing, while Sarah sings and plays viola and a host of other instruments. You'll hear comical, thoughtful lyrics paired with beautiful, lilting harmonies. A strange combination to be sure, but the real art here is managing this brittle juxtaposition. Anyone who's attended a live show can tell you they're as much about what happens between the songs as the tunes themselves. Scott and Sarah enjoy telling corny jokes and playfully ribbing each other Sonny and Cher style. Time will fly as you're having fun at The Wreckids show.

The Commonheart formed to invoke emotion through tone and energy, The Commonheart is a band configured of up and coming artists from the Pittsburgh area who came together to create a soulful sound for music lovers.

"We know exactly what we want to sound like and we are ready to go out and bring it to the people," said front man Clinton Clegg.

The Commonheart takes rock riffs, gritty vocals and a screaming organ to deliver rock 'n' roll with a heavy blues, soul and gospel influence. Their music is a true testament to the past, echoing once again the full circle of music and sound.

Gypsy and His Band of Ghosts is a folk and rock band from Pittsburgh, PA. In addition to great music, good adventures, good people, good drinks, random adventures, random people, random drinks is what the group is all about. They also like inspiring others to enjoy life-"it's way too short to take it too seriously," believe band members which include Giuseppe Capolupo (Lead Vocals and Lead Guitar), Scott Maniglia (Drums, Auxiliary Percussion and Vocals), Tony Tortella (Bass Guitar and Vocals) and Diego Brynes (Lead Guitar and Vocals).

SPACE
SPACE is located at 812 Liberty Avenue. Gallery Hours: Wed & Thurs: 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Fri & Sat: 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sun. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. The gallery is free and open to the public. SPACE is a project of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. For more information about all gallery exhibitions featured in the Cultural District, please visit TrustArts.org.

Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has overseen one of Pittsburgh's most historic transformations: turning a seedy red-light district into a magnet destination for arts lovers, residents, visitors, and business owners. Founded in 1984, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is a non-profit arts organization whose mission is the cultural and economic revitalization of a 14-block arts and entertainment/residential neighborhood called the Cultural District. The District is one of the country's largest land masses "curated" by a single nonprofit arts organization. A major catalytic force in the city, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is a unique model of how public-private partnerships can reinvent a city with authenticity, innovation and creativity. Using the arts as an economic catalyst, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has holistically created a world-renowned Cultural District that is revitalizing the city, improving the regional economy and enhancing Pittsburgh's quality of life. Thanks to the support of foundations, corporations, government agencies and thousands of private citizens, the Cultural Trust stands as a national model of urban redevelopment through the arts. For more information, visit TrustArts.org.

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