Yinz ready to celebrate Pittsburgh n’at? The David L. Lawrence Convention Center will be bleeding black and gold with the first Yinzerfest, kicking off Thursday and running through Sunday.
The event will feature an impressive slate of local bands, musicians and comedians, plenty of Pittsburgh eats, vendors from the area with a range of items to sell, appearances by local heroes and a cooking stage where Pittsburgh chefs will demonstrate their skills.
“Yinzer is more than just how we talk; it’s who we are,” said Douglas Mariani, one of the founders of Yinzerfest.
Mariani was inspired by Bret Michaels, lead singer of rock band Poison, who is from the region. He was quoted suggesting a “yinzer festival” ahead of the band’s August 2022 concert at PNC Park.
“It doesn’t matter what your success level is financially, or if you’re a super celebrity, none of that matters. When you walk in that door, you bleed black and gold. We’re all the same,” Mariani said.
Yinzerfest will have something for all ages and interests, from kids to sports fans to music lovers and beyond.
“We have a tremendous kids’ zone. Kids 12 and under are free. We’re going to have a big bouncy house, face painting, an animal stuffing booth. We’re going to have the sports teams’ mascots visit us on Saturday,” said Angela Gillot, Yinzerfest co-organizer. “All of our participants have a Pittsburgh connection, either they’re from here, they live here or they do business here. That was a very strong commitment that we were making to this festival.”
To benefit the community, one dollar from each ticket sold will go to The Best of the Batch and Band Together Pittsburgh.
The festival will be open until 11 p.m. Thursday, from noon-11 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. Individual day tickets are $18. A four-day pass is $60.
In honor of Yinzerfest, we caught up with several musicians and comedians who will perform to get their honest Pittsburgher opinions.
Joe Grushecky
The legendary Pittsburgh singer-songwriter will be performing at Yinzerfest from 8:30-10 p.m. Thursday with Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers — with a set featuring an all-star tribute to another Pittsburgh musical legend, Donnie Iris.
“It’s a bunch of veteran Pittsburgh musicians, we’ve all known each other 30, 40 years, and it’s always fun to get together,” Grushecky said.
He was raised in Western Pennsylvania and has lived in Pittsburgh since the 1970s. “It’s home. I love it here. I love the people,” he said.
Q: Favorite pizza in the region?
A: You know, my kids always like Mineo’s, I sort of like Jet’s.
Q: Your Primanti’s order?
A: Egg and bacon.
Q: Least favorite place to try to park?
A: Lawrenceville.
Q: Favorite Pittsburgh sports figure?
A: Roberto Clemente.
Q: Favorite now-closed local business?
A: The Decade.
Rick Peluso
Rick Peluso is the lead singer of BB Steal ’80s Live, who will be performing from 4-5 p.m. Saturday. The band formed in 1984 in Ross and played locally for a few years before breaking up, but they reunited in 2015 and have had regional success ever since at venues and festivals.
They play a range of hits from the ’80s, from rock and pop anthems to movie soundtrack hits and beyond. “Our motto is ‘never the same show twice,’” Peluso said.
Q: Favorite pizza in the region?
A: Cenci’s.
Q: Your Primanti’s order?
A: Capricola.
Q: Your least favorite place to try to park?
A: Downtown, of course.
Q: Favorite Kennywood ride?
A: The Thunderbolt.
Q: Favorite now-closed local business?
A: I would have to say Isaly’s, because one of the original (band) members, he’s now passed away, was Phil Isaly of the Isaly family.
Matt Light
Comedian Matt Light grew up in West View and has been doing stand-up for 16 years. He was voted Best Comedian in Pittsburgh four times by Pittsburgh Magazine.
“I do a lot of crowd work. I’m very relatable … I make fun of myself and everyone in the audience,” Light said.
He will be headlining the festival’s comedy stage on Friday and Saturday nights.
Q: Best pizza in the region?
A: Fiori’s, by far, but the best-kept secret pizza is Center Avenue Slice in West View.
Q: Primanti’s order?
A: I do a pastrami with egg, with hot sauce, and you gotta wash it down with an IC Light Mango.
Q: Favorite Kennywood ride?
A: Driving out of Duquesne!
Q: Favorite Pittsburgh sports figure?
A: Ben Roethlisberger.
Q: Most often-used Pittsburghese word or phrase?
A: “Jagoff,” all day!
Joe Wodarek
Joe Wodarek, formerly of The Stickers and currently of Joe Wodarek and the 51 South Band, has a vast history with music and Pittsburgh. “I’m also the creator of ‘A Very Yinzer Christmas,’ so Yinzerfest is right up my alley,” he said.
“I was born and raised here, and I’m a proud Pittsburgher,” he added.
Wodarek will perform in the Donnie Iris celebration Thursday night, and Joe Wodarek and the 51 South Band is performing Sunday from 2:30-3:30 p.m.
Q: Best pizza in the region?
A: Beto’s.
Q: Your Primanti’s order?
A: Cap and cheese.
Q: Least favorite place in the city to try to park?
A: South Side.
Q: Favorite Pittsburgh sports figure?
A: Gotta go with Sidney Crosby.
Q: Favorite now-closed local business?
A: Feinberg’s in the Strip.
David Kaye
David Kaye, comedian, is Pittsburgh through and through. “I’m a lifelong Pittsburgher … all my aunts and uncles lived over there on the South Side slopes, so I have a real affinity and a real love for the Yinzer attitude,” Kaye said.
“My comedy, I’ll be honest, is all about me,” he said. “Everything that goes on around me, that’s really how I write my material. My stage persona is me amplified like 20 times. It used to be me 50 times, but I’ve kind of reined it in.”
He will headline Yinzerfest’s comedy stage on Thursday night.
Q: Your Primanti’s order?
A: Pastrami, double egg.
Q: Least favorite place to try to park?
A: Downtown, any time our sports teams are playing.
Q: Favorite Kennywood ride?
A: It used to be the Thunderbolt, but I gotta go Phantom’s Revenge.
Q: Favorite now-closed local business?
A: I’ll tell you what, some of the best nights of my comedy youth were spent at the Graffitti over in Oakland.
Q: Most often-used Pittsburghese word or phrase?
A: Oh, “j’eet jet?” That is my most used and favorite one.
Tim Hadley
Tim Hadley is a guitarist for The Nied’s Hotel Band, who will perform from 8:45-10 p.m. Saturday night in a “yinzer rock-n-roll tribute” featuring several guests who are local famous faces.
“We’re adding Kenny Blake on saxophone,” he said, “and, of course, you see who our guests are, these are people who we’re well aware have high profiles as singers and performers in Pittsburgh.”
That includes Jim Krenn, The Granati Bros., Mia Z from NBC’s “The Voice,” Billy Price and others.
The Nied’s Hotel Band has two decades of history, with some members going back much longer, and was named after Lawrenceville bar Nied’s Hotel.
Q: Least favorite place to try to park?
A: I’d have to say Oakland. My daughter and stepson both went to Pitt and that was probably the biggest pain.
Q: Favorite Kennywood ride?
A: It sounds crazy but I always liked the Racer. I can remember, when I was younger, just going on it over and over again — just get off and get back in line.
Q: Favorite Pittsburgh sports figure?
A: I’ve been around for three World Series pennants, five Stanley Cups and six Lombardi Trophies, and the first of those was the 1960 Pirates World Series … My favorite as a kid was always Bill Mazeroski.
Q: Favorite now-closed local business?
A: This shows my age, but Heads Together, a record store in Squirrel Hill.
Q: Most often-used Pittsburghese word or phrase?
A: Pop. I have relatives that say, “You mean a soda?” No, it’s a pop.
Tracie Jayne
“I’m a bit of a firecracker,” Tracie Jayne said when describing her comedy. “I think the best things in comedy to talk about are what hurts you, what embarrasses you and what scares you.”
Jayne headed up the organization of the comedy stage for the festival. She will emcee Thursday night’s show and feature Saturday night.
She even organized an opening show on Thursday full of “yinzer-centric comedy.” The best comedy set in that show will win $100.
“My goal was to have a good representation of the comedy scene in Pittsburgh,” she said. “The whole festival is about promoting Pittsburgh.”
Q: Best pizza in the region?
A: I’m gonna say Davide in the Strip District.
Q: Favorite Pittsburgh sports figure?
A: Bill Cowher. I saw him speak in New York … to see him speak was amazing, he’s an amazing man.
Q: Most often-used Pittsburghese word or phrase?
A: N’at.
Q: Primanti’s order?
A: I like the kielbasa.
Check out Yinzerfest, running through Sunday at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in downtown Pittsburgh. To learn more and buy tickets, visit pghyinzerfest.net.
Alexis Papalia is a TribLive staff writer. She can be reached at apapalia@triblive.com.
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