2014
Pop Punk Night launches at The Smiling Moose.
The Story
About Pittsburgh Emo Night
Pittsburgh Emo Night is the best Emo Night in America and I have seen a lot. Not because we have a bigger budget (we do not), but because I built this the right way: local, consistent, welcoming, and focused on what matters most, the people in the room.
Public-facing, I call them parties. At home, I call them shows, because that is what it feels like. My instrument is 30 years of living inside the genres that make up this scene. This is a safe space to cut loose, scream to your favorite songs, dance to music that does not get played in normal clubs, and make friends you keep running into around town.
Most touring emo events charge $20 (plus fees) to run the same 2014 playlist in a big venue. We are different on purpose. About 90% of our events are free, and when we do charge, most of those nights are under $20. We put proceeds back into the experience: sound and lighting, photo booths, food trucks, and the kind of night where people jump on stage and lose their minds for their song.
How It Started
This started in October 2014 as Pop Punk Night at The Smiling Moose in South Side. I wrote a blog post about how underrated the Moose was as a venue. The owner reached out to thank me and casually asked if I had ever tried a DJ night. I had not. I did not have equipment. I had no idea what I was doing. So of course I said yes.
I bought cheap gear, survived the first night, and a few months later it became monthly. We have run every month since, except during the pandemic.
2021
We move into a larger room at The Stage at Squirrel Hill Sports Bar, our home base where Pittsburgh Emo Night fully takes shape with a bigger playlist.
2024
We add periodic nights at Bottlerocket Social Hall.
2025
The Smiling Moose closes. It is a brutal loss, but the night survives because this was never about one room.
Before Pittsburgh Emo Night existed, I was already building in weird rooms: the first Pittsburgh-area My Chemical Romance show in a garage in Natrona Heights (powered from a nearby Chinese restaurant), the first Coheed and Cambria show in an actual Chinese restaurant, and Taking Back Sunday's first show at The Mr. Roboto Project. That is not a flex, it is proof the scene adapts, finds space, and survives.
What You Will Hear
This scene is wide and always evolving, so the nights are wide too. You might jump from My Chemical Romance and Fall Out Boy to Electric Callboy or 3OH!3. You could hear Knocked Loose one minute and Avril Lavigne the next. Paramore, Pierce the Veil, Bad Omens, A Day to Remember, Blink-182, Cobra Starship, and Bring Me the Horizon all fit.
My rule is simple: if it would have made sense at Warped Tour, it probably makes sense here. People dance. People scream. People request songs. People jump on stage for the big moments. People take pictures to remind themselves that even when the world is on fire, joy is still allowed.
Values And Boundaries
Pittsburgh Emo Night is unapologetically woke. Bigotry and sex pests are not tolerated. We are an inclusive space for LGBTQIA+ folks, immigrants, and anyone who loves this music.
There are a few bands whose actions are too gross to play in good conscience. The list is small, but real. Beyond that, the mission is straightforward: everything is expensive, the world is chaotic, and this is a few hours to forget work, stress, and whatever stupidity the news is serving that day.
If you leave with new friends, sweaty memories, and that rare feeling of "I am glad I went out tonight," then I did my job.
What Is Next
We are not slowing down. In spring 2026, we step into entertainment management for a new Pittsburgh space that starts small and grows into a proper mid-sized room with stage, sound, and lights inside a 100-year-old bowling alley that stays open during shows.
This whole thing started in weird venues. I am stoked to keep that legacy going.
About Adam
Founder and DJ - Pittsburgh Emo NIght.
Pittsburgh Emo Night was founded by Adam Rahuba. When I'm not playing emo bangers in Pittsburgh, I'm touring the country playing Metalcore Night events, helping run venues here in Pittsburgh, and working in web development.
In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my girlfriend, Karoline, our dog Roxy, and our cats Sidney, Aria, and Ash. I enjoy riding my scooter, playing Magic: The Gathering, cooking, and taking cross-country train trips.