Singer and songwriter Laura Marling’s acoustic folk style on her latest release, “I Speak Because I Can,” is intimate and simplistic, allowing her imagery-loaded lyrics with to shine.On the contrary, Andy McKee is a master musician who can manipulate a guitar into making sounds one would never guess were produced by a single instrument.
Nineties’ artist Jeff Buckley was the master of both, perfectly blending his grunge rhythmic guitar, melodious singing – which could traverse five octaves – and often sorrowful lyrics to become one of the decade’s most celebrated artists.This summer, the musical styles of all three artists and a multitude of others can be heard live in the Pittsburgh area for the city’s summer concert series. Local, national and international artists alike will take to the various Pittsburgh stages and venues, such as Mr. Smalls Funhouse in Millvale, The Rex Theater and Diesel Club Lounge on the South Side, as well as larger venues including the First Niagara Pavilion in Burgettstown and the Chevrolet Amphitheater  at Station Square, to name a few.Pittsburgh has an active music scene, with over 30 venues within the city limits that support musical performances. As May approaches, venues are compiling their summer concert lists, which provide a unique mix of styles and genres to please any Pittsburgher longing to see a live show.Twenty-year-old Marling arrived on the music scene in 2007 to critical acclaim because of her pop-folk style and poetic lyrics. Her songs, including “My Manic & I,” “Ghosts” and “Devil’s Spoke,” are bouncy with fast-paced guitar melodies and rhythmic singing. Her vocals are subdued and almost trance-like, sung to a folkish and light tempo. Performing live, as she has on such shows as “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson,” Marling appears nonchalant, but her sound is bold and determined, skipping along at an alarming pace.Marling will be playing at the Andy Warhol Museum to support her latest release, “I Speak Because I Can,” on Saturday, May 8 as part of the museum’s Sound Series. Joining her as an opening act will be Australian indie band The Middle East, who will play ambient folk tracks from their EP, “The Recordings of the Middle East.”Topeka, Kan. native McKee gained popularity through the video sharing website YouTube, where his homemade videos of self-penned guitar solos once held the top three positions for YouTube’s Top-Rated Videos of All Time, according to his website, www.andymckee.com. He specializes in awing an audience with his acoustic guitar, performing songs with sounds many people did not know a guitar could make. His song “Into the Ocean,” which is performed on a specially crafted 12-string guitar, is soothing, with an ebb and flow pattern similar to waves on an ocean shore.McKee, who has released five solo albums and was featured on pop opera artist Josh Groban’s multi-platinum Christmas album, “NOEL,” will be playing at the Rex Theater on the South Side on July 23 at 9 p.m.Additionally, artists are paying tribute to the late, great Buckley through a live show at the Rex Theater on the South Side on May 15 called “An Adulation: Jeff Buckley.” Buckley’s 1994 debut album “Grace” earned a spot on Rolling Stone magazine’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Buckley’s cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” defines his legacy, with a somber, sparse guitar backing lyrics about “cold” and “broken” moments in life.
Artists performing in Buckley’s honor at the Rex include Matt King from the band Shade, Retrofitter from the band School of Athens, Justin Chechlie from the band Camera, The Longtime Darlings and others. General admission tickets cost $10.50 and can be purchased at rex.greyareaprod.com.Major music artists from the past year, including John Mayer, Dave Matthews Band and the widely popular Lady Gaga, also include Pittsburgh as one of their tour stops.
Julia Wagner, a freshman screenwriting major, tried to get tickets to Gaga’s concert. “They sold out so fast,” she said. “And they were way too expensive.” Wagner tries to attend a concert as often as possible, she said, even as often as one every month, depending on the price or the convenience. Because of this, she will not be attending any concerts in the Pittsburgh area this summer, but is instead choosing to travel as far as Manchester, Tenn. for the Bonnaroo music and arts festival on June 10-13.
There are several music festivals making a stop in the Steel City as well, including the Bamboozle Roadshow, which features bands All Time Low, Simple Plan, Third Eye Blind and others, on June 23 at the Chevrolet Amphitheater in Station Square and the Vans Warped Tour on July 7 at First Niagara Pavilion. The Pittsburgh stop of Warped Tour is comprised of over 60 bands, including The Rocket Summer, The All-American Rejects and Motion City Soundtrack.Amelia Hogan, community director of Campus Life, does not have any plans to attend a concert this summer because she thinks tickets are too overpriced.“In general, I will fork over the money if I really want to see them,” Hogan said. “But nothing seemed worth it to me.”Austin Elder, a freshman business marketing major, however, is looking forward to the Dave Matthews Band concert in Pittsburgh on Saturday, July 10 at PNC Park.“It’s going to be a good night with good music,” Elder said. “Me and my buddies are looking forward to having a good time.”Dave Matthews Band is on tour to support their latest album, “Big Whisky and the GrooGrux King,” which was released in June 2009 and has since gone platinum with hits like “You & Me” and “Funny the Way It Is.” The band is currently touring Europe and will return to the States on May 20 for a concert in Washington, D.C. The Pittsburgh concert in June still has tickets available for $49 and up, which can be purchased on their website at www.davematthewsband.com/tour.Pittsburgh-based band The Juliana Theory, who is probably best known for the song “We’re at the Top of the World,” which appeared in television shows such as “Smallville” and “Life as We Know It,” is reuniting for a tour in celebration of the 10th anniversary of “Emotion is Dead,” the band’s first album. With stops in New York and Los Angeles, The Juliana Theory’s reunion tour, which comes four years after the band’s disbandment, will make a stop at Mr. Small’s Funhouse on the South Side on Aug. 21.For those not partial to the live music scene, several famous live speakers will be hitting the Pittsburgh area too. Celebrity author, chef and host of the Travel Channel’s show “No Reservations” Anthony Bourdain will be sharing his experiences as a world traveler at Heinz Hall on Monday, June 14 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased for $38 to $85 at the Pittsburgh Symphony’s website, www.pittsburghsymphony.org.