Recapping the month at Emo Night
August was a strange month for our Pop Punk Night / Emo Night community that started with a terrifying bang and with a ton of optimism and stronger friendships.
Earlier this month a group of regular attendees decided to get together for a “not Emo Night” of bar hopping in the South Side. The evening was derailed early when someone decided to open gunfire just 40 feet from where we were, leaving many of us pretty shook.
A long-time Pop Punk Night regular offered her home the following week for a bit of trauma bonding, delicious food, and alcohol. The low-key party gave many of us the opportunity to heal from the proximity to the previous week’s shooting. We’re all so appreciative to Lisa for having us over and Casey for planning the get together.
Scheduling for Emo Night and Pop Punk Night
Our August events were back-to-back nights at the Squirrel Hill Sports Bar and The Smiling Moose. Two nights in a row is something we attempt to avoid. This month is was unavoidable. We’re working to avoid it again in 2022. Our 2023 schedule will keep all events two weeks apart.
Emo Night: Broken Audio, Chili, So Many People
Emo Night was plagued with audio difficulties. Attempting to work around these difficulties prevented me from playing a lot of the music videos I had planned for the set.
In what we hope becomes a monthly occurrence, the Sports Bar arranged for a food truck to be on site. This month’s truck was the Revival Chili Co. I got a ton of great reviews and the bowl that I had the next morning was still excellent out of the refrigerator. Check them out!
Last Friday was also our most well-attended event at the Squirrel Hill Sports Bar to date. Over 400 people went SO HARD all night. I still can’t believe the mosh pit that broke out during Ice Nine Kills and Knocked Loose. I’m really enjoying the inclusion of heavier music in our rotation and there’s been some awesome feedback. We’ll work to find a good balance.
The success of Emo Night allowed us to replace the controller that has been plaguing the sound at our events for a few months now.
We’re also going to make a MAJOR configuration change to Emo Night at the Squirrel Hill Sports Bar: I’m going to be moving the DJ booth off of the stage. This is going to open the stage up for another 20-30 people to dance in front of the big screen.
The next Emo Night at Squirrel Hill Sports Bar is on Friday, September 16th and I’m super excited for the changes and upgrades!
Pop Punk Night: Getting Weird with It
Pop Punk Night at The Smiling Moose has suffered from the recent violence on Carson Street. Some people have expressed discomfort in coming down to the South Side on the weekends.
The Smiling Moose has been our home since 2013. It was my “home bar” long before that. I went to high school three blocks up Carson St. Growing up, the South Side’s vibe was weird and artsy. Things have changed.
There are still amazing spots in the South Side – on and off of Carson Street. The Smiling Moose is our home. Dee’s Cafe is a mainstay. Thai Me Up is arguably one of the best spots in town. It’s unfortunate that patrons of a half dozen of the 80-ish bars in the area are causing so many problems for the other businesses.
With the softer-than-usual attendance, we got experimental with the playlist and order. I Set My Friends on Fire, The Medic Droid, Fenix TX, and Sugarcult got the people moving.
Despite the shooting earlier in the month, many regular attendees did make it to the Smiling Moose. I hope that continues as the city takes steps to clean up the South Side. We’re going to double down on our promotional efforts for our South Side events.
Our next Pop Punk Night in the South Side is on Saturday, September 24, 2022.
A New Website
We hope you’re enjoying the new website. After 9 years, I thought it was time to finally put together a proper website instead of a one-page ad. We’ve made overhauls to our song request system. Now you can see what other people are requesting (and vote on it!). Check that out on our requests page.
We’re adding information about all of the bands and songs that we play. That’s going to take some time. It’ll give you guys an opportunity to show your friends what you’re going crazy to once or twice a month.
We’ve also added a merchandise store. We should have shirts available in person by My Chemical Romance Night in October (or maybe our November event). If anyone has a recommendation for a screen printing company that we should check out, let us know in the comments!
Lastly, we added a block. We’ll use this to check in once or twice a month. Maybe we’ll review some records or concerts.
Thanks for reading! I really hope to see you guys on September 16th at the Squirrel Hill Sports Bar and on September 24th at The Smiling Moose!
