Every musician starts somewhere, and it’s small independent venues like Thunderbird Cafe & Music Hall in Pittsburgh that provides a safe space for blossoming creatives. The storied venue has positioned itself at the heart of the Pittsburgh art scene and has seen everyone from local greats to acclaimed touring bands. Thunderbird is a venue that feels alive, it is constantly evolving to improve itself to bring the best live concert experience along with some fine cuisine on the side.
Glide talked with venue owner John Pergal and ticketing/marketing/venue manager Maura Mullen from Thunderbird Cafe & Music Hall to discuss how the venue has evolved over the years, the local music scene, and how Thunderbird got its name.
Read the full interview below and check out the Thunderbird website here:
Can you talk about your recent renovation? One Google reviewer said it’s now the best place in town for live music as the sound system is better and the venue itself is better. Can you talk about the before and after of the renovations and what has most improved?
John: Our main goal with the renovation was first and foremost to create a space that is great for both the performer and the patron. From sight lines to acoustics, hospitality to entertainment, a great overall concert experience.
What is the capacity of your main room and can you describe to our readers what your green room is like?
John: Our capacity is 573. Our green room is a large comfortable room, with a full bath, laundry facility, large flat screen tv, and a pinball machine.
Maura: As a former Tour Manager, I’ve seen a LOT of green rooms across the country- we consistently hear from bands and TM’s that our green room is top notch.
Do you feel Thunderbird is the go-to indie club in Pittsburgh? What touring bands in general have come back time and time again and consider Thunderbird a “home turf?”
Maura: As an independent venue, we have the pleasure of working with lots of different promoters throughout the city. We kind of see ourselves as the “Independent Republic of Thunderbird” where everyone is welcome, and because of that, we get a really wide variety of genres coming through our room. Bands like Titus Andronicus, Mo Lowda, Pokey LaFarge, Nikki Lane, Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio, and Sonny Landreth have all made multiple appearances in the Music Hall and we look forward to continuing to feature those artists in our room.
What is the story behind your Front Porch Stage? What are some of your favorite memories that have come out of that stage? The front porch stage is located in the cafe portion of the venue which is also our front entrance to the venue.
John: The front porch stage was designed to look like the front porch of a Mississippi Juke Joint. We host a bluegrass night every Tuesday, vinyl night on Wednesdays as well as local indie rock, surf and acoustic blues.
Maura: The FPS a great resource for local bands to gain exposure and get their foot in the door. We scout a lot of those acts for support slots in the Music Hall. John and I are both musicians and have played on the Front Porch ourselves, in addition to our other employees that also perform!
Is there a dream artist you hope plays the Thunderbird stage? Who have been some of the bigger names to play the venue?
John: A dream artist would be Keith Richards and the Expensive Winos, Billy Gibbons Blues Band or Warren Haynes solo acoustic. (obviously these would be underplays)
Maura: I hope to see more up-and-coming indie bands like Dhed, Surfbort, Yves Tumor, Palehound, Crumb, Hiatus Kaiyote…
Thunderbird has the name “Cafe” in the title before “Music Hall” – how do you balance the cafe and music portions with equal priority?
Maura: The Cafe and Music Hall have two very different feels. On any given night, there could be two completely different shows/crowds happening at the same time! It’s cool, kind of like we have something for everyone. A lot of the time people might come for a show in the Music Hall and then see a band for free on the Front Porch that they haven’t heard of before.
Has there been a turnout for a show that you booked that you were significantly shocked by the large turnout?
Maura: We recently had DOMi & JD Beck and the show sold out in 2 days!
I noticed that your website doesn’t have an “about” page, can you give us a brief history of Thunderbird?
John: Michalski’s Cafe was purchased by John and Ami Pergal, from Frank Michalski, in 2000. Michalkski’s cafe was a mill bar that had been open since 1933. Shortly afterwards we changed the name to the Thunderbird Cafe. In 2005, with the help from architect and friend Chris Lasky, we expanded into a 200-capacity live music venue where we booked both local and small touring bands. In 2016 we closed and started renovation and reopened in April of 2019 as the Thunderbird Cafe and Music Hall
Where did the name Thunderbird come from? Is there any connection to the old folktale about the mythical creature?
John: It came from a bottle of Thunderbird Wine. If you look at the bottle you’ll notice the similarity in the font.
What are some of your favorite dishes from Black Sheep BBQ? How did Thunderbird get connected with a restaurant like that?
John: I personally like the brisket. We were approached by the owner of Black Sheep BBQ, Tony G, when we were closed during the Covid 19 shutdown.
Maura: I’m a vegetarian, and for a BBQ kitchen, Black Sheep has really awesome veggie and vegan options. My favorites are the sweet potato and black bean tacos!
One Response
Pokey Lafarge is a great repeat artist. Your venue is special