shows
links
directions
contact us
gallery
Thunderbird Cafe
Thunderbird Cafe/Lounge
Shows                                   

      

                                                                  
FRIDAY  MARCH 12th  8pm  $10/12
CARAVAN OF THIEVES       

Stretching the parameters of acoustic swing, Caravan of Thieves has been winning immediate praise for their new and unique brand of gypsy flavored song writing and their high intensity show. The vocal harmonizing, acoustic guitar spanking husband and wife duo Fuzz and Carrie have extended their family to include fiery violinist Ben Dean and double bass madman, Brian Anderson to complete their colorful vision.

Special Guests: 

   
SATURDAY  MARCH 13th  8:00  AM

St. Patricks Day "Parade KICK-OFF"

With the BEAGLE BROTHERS     

SATURDAY  MARCH 13th  10pm  $5
  

   
SUNDAY  MARCH 14th  8pm  $10/12
SARA HAZE   (with full band)   
   Releasing her first major album at the age of 19 has been a long time coming for this songstress, writing fan favorites like "Lovely" and "My Own Hands To Hold" years earlier.   Fans of MTV's reality phenomenon The Hills responded en masse with over 300,000 hits on Sara's MySpace page when her song "My Own Hands To Hold" was used to illustrate a scene depicting a rocky relationship. Sara sings "you're bringing me down" in the chorus, describing a relationship gone bad.

Special Guests:  JD Eicher & The Goodnights

   
THURSDAY MARCH 18th 10pm  $5
   
   
FRIDAY  MARCH 19th  10pm  $5
The OLD E ALLSTARS 
Slammin funk grooves that get the people dancing, and blues ballads that often leave fans with goosebumps. The Allstars perform mostly original material, with a few soul/funk classics rounding out each set.
   
SATURDAY MARCH 20th  "Early Show @ 7pm"   $15/18
THE GRASCALS   
Already among the most beloved and acclaimed of contemporary bluegrass groups, The Grascals are the 2007 International Bluegrass Music Association’s Entertainers of the Year, first earning the top honor in 2006, only one year after being named Emerging Artist of the Year and winning Song of the Year for “Me and John and Paul.”
SATURDAY  MARCH 20th 10pm  $5
CITY DWELLING NATURE SEEKERS 
[City Dwelling Nature Seekers] holds down the alt-country end of indie rock, citing (and revealing) The Band as a key influence.” Andy Mulkerin, Pittsburgh City Paper

Special Guest: Strip Mall Ballads

 
MONDAY  MARCH 22nd  8pm  $ 10/12
THAT 1 GUY               

Like a one-man band plucked from the pages of Dr. Seuss, That 1 Guy delivers earthshaking future funk from the magic pipe to accompany his madcap lyrics about turbo snails, meat storms, and weasel pot pies."
J.G., Bass Player Magazine
 
THURSDAY  MARCH 25th  9pm  $ 5
CHET VINCENT & BIG BEND       

Chet Vincent & the Big Bend is a roots rock band based out of the empire that is Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Combining the raw electric energy of blues-tinged rock and alt-country with haunting and (sometimes) heartwarming songwriting in the spirit of the American folk tradition, Chet Vincent & the Big Bend reconcile the great divide between intellectualism and accessibility; by ignoring both -- and just writing songs.


WITH: The SLANT & The DECEPTIONS

 
   
FRIDAY  MARCH 26th  9pm  $5
the PAWNBROKERS      

An evening of Original/Classic/Jump Blues

The Pawnbrokers have performed with such National Acts as Anson Funderburgh & Sam Meyers, James Cotton, John Hammond, The Nighthawks, Little Charlie & the Nightcats,Long John Hunter and Eddy Clearwater. The band is a past winner of the Pittsburgh Blues Challenge.

   
SATURDAY  MARCH 27th   9:30pm  $ 5

Blue Sky Mission Club

Tiger Maple String Band    

An evening of  : Folk and Roots Music

   
TUESDAY  MARCH 30th  8pm  $ 12/14
AN HORSE               

The pair soon decided to lead An Horse out from the dank basement store. Like revolutionaries they took to the streets but without the cause or the fight or the gnarly banners, they did have songs though. And hand claps.
They were surprised when after one show they were offered a whole lot more including an opening slot on Tegan and Sara's 2008 Out Of Hibernation Spring US tour. Shortly after they were invited to open for Death Cab For Cutie on their Australian tour. But they weren't as surprised as the owner of the record store when he found his two loyal managers playing to a packed out room when they were supposed to be selling CDs, his not theirs.

 
   
   
FRIDAY  APRIL 2nd  10pm  $ 5
FOURTH RIVER  

Fourth River is also the name for one of Pittsburgh’s finest up and coming grassroots bands. Appropriately named after the subterranean aquifer, Fourth River’s music streams from the Pittsburgh underground quenching the euphonious tastes of new fans with every performance

   
SATURDAY  APRIL 3rd  9pm  $7
                      

The Rock and Roll Spookshow gives you a monster Halloween fix the first Saturday of EVERY OTHER month! Come degrade all yer senses with a
Full-Length Horror Movie, Halloween Candy, Toys,
and 3 horror/rock/psycho/billy/surf/trash bands!!!


   
TUESDAY  APRIL 6th  8pm  $8/10
MICHAEL MILLER    

SoCal troubadour-misfit Michael Miller is an American singer-
songwriter who recently made "the all-time great make-out-and-cry 
record." His music has been described as "brooding acoustic 
ruminations and multi-layered, melancholic pop symphonies." (OC Weekly)
Miller's new album, "I Made You Up," features friendly appearances 
from Pete Yorn, Tracy Bonham, Amy Correia, and his band of elite 
luminaries, who also happen to play with Damien Rice, Ray LaMontagne, 
Foo Fighters, Tom Waits, Beck, Son Volt, Aimee Mann, Lucinda 
Williams, and Shakira.
   
THURSDAY  APRIL 8th  9pm  $18/20
AZTEC TWO-STEP    

In 1972, Aztec Two-Step, whose name comes from a poem by beat poet
Lawrence Ferlinghetti, burst upon the scene with their self-titled debut
album on
Elektra Records. Their first album, along with their subsequent albums for
RCA Records were staples of progressive FM and college radio and helped to
bring the music of the 1960s into the 70s. Since then Rex Fowler and Neal
Shulman have spent a lifetime making music together as the folk/rock duo
Aztec Two-Step, and after more than 30 years of non-stop touring, they
continue to impress audiences with intelligent songwriting, dazzling
acoustic lead guitar, and inspiring harmonies, and remain one of acoustic
music's most respected and enduring acts

Special Guest: Jon Pousette-Dart

   
FRIDAY  APRIL 9th  9pm  $5
DIGITAL

Featuring former members of JAZZAM ---

Glen Strother and Jon Riley

 
SATURDAY  APRIL 10th  7:00pm EARLY SHOW   $25/28
LUNASA           

Lúnasa are internationally acknowledged as being the finest traditional Irish instrumental band of recent times. In October 1997, Ireland’s all-star quintet Lúnasa released their début CD Lúnasa, it became an immediate best-seller in Ireland, topping Hot Press’ folk charts and nominated one of the year’s top ten by the Irish Echo in the USA.

  

SATURDAY  APRIL 10th 10:00pm  $10/12
FRANCIS & the LIGHTS     

 

 

   
THURSDAY  APRIL 15th  8pm  $14/16
HOT CLUB of COWTOWN   
The Hot Club of Cowtown has grown to be the most globe-trotting, hard-swinging Western Swing trio on the planet. From early days busking for tips in San Diego's Balboa Park, the band has grown and developed into a formidable international sensation. The Hot Club's ever-growing presence on the international festival scene has grown with its relentless touring over the years alongside the release of five critically acclaimed CDs .

Special Guest: The Beagle Brothers

 
   
SATURDAY  APRIL 17th  9pm  $ 5
BREWERS ROW     

Brother-and-sister Nicholas Hohman and Leah Hohman-Esser make up the songwriting backbone of the band Brewer's Row, named after their practice space located next to a brewery. But they never stray too far stylistically from the golden era of their dad, Mark Hohman, a veteran of '60s rock band Shredded Wheat, who plays guitar and sings backup with them.

   
SUNDAY  APRIL 18th  8pm  $12/14
JOHN NEMETH       

Steeped in the tradition of B.B. King, Ray Charles & Junior Parker, John Németh is a singer & harmonica player of riveting intensity & virtuosity. His decade long career has found him opening for the likes of Robert Cray, Keb Mo' & Earl Thomas.

"Classic soul and R&B styles have been revitalized in recent years by a cadre of young and relatively young artists such as James Hunter, Eli "Paperboy" Reed, and Sharon Jones. You can include John Németh on any list of the best of them." – Nick Cristiano, Phila. Inquirer
   
FRIDAY  APRIL 23rd  9pm  $8/10
Jason Ajemian and the Highlife         

"Ajemian is a bassist of indefinable sophistication. His sound, whether pizzicato or arco, is rich, flexible and commanding, albeit supportive and facilitating to the creative output of his musicians.  Throughout there is an overriding sense of community heard within. The communicative spirit of the performers leads to an intriguing listening experience, overflowing with warmth."
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=29495

Special Guests: the Hit & Miss Engines

   
SATURDAY  APRIL 24th  10pm  $5
JIMBO and the SOUPBONES  
A funky soulful band hailing from New Kensington PA, and lead by the vocals of smooth operating front man Jimbo Jackson,return to the THUNDERBIRD CAFE. Jimbo and the Soupbones captured the title of the best band in the Burgh @ The Carnegie Arts and Heritage Festival 2009

 

 
   
TUESDAY  APRIL 27th  8pm  $13/15
HEAVY TRASH  

Jon Spencer and Matt Verta-Ray are... HEAVY TRASH --

Formerly (Jon Spencer Blues Explosion ) Jon remains an indelible totem to his enormous mojo spirit and red-hot power of deliverance. He is Daddy Boss Hog! He is the Blues Exploder and Microphone Destroyer! A Gibson Brother! The man who shared a Chicken Dog with Rufus Thomas, got Soul with R.L. Burnside

Special Guests: The MOUNT McKINLEYS
   
FRIDAY  APRIL 30th  10pm  $ 7

Uncle Scratch's Gospel Revue  

The Whiskey Daredevil's        

An evening of No Frills RocknRoll/Punk/ Rockabilly

 
   
SATURDAY  MAY 1st  10pm  $5
TheCAUSE    

Solid musicians with an attention to the delicate touch who love playing -

Grateful Dead, The Beatles, Dylan, Phish and a whole lot more - including several smokin originals.
 
MONDAY  MAY 3rd  8pm  $8
KASEY ANDERSON   
A versatile and confident songwriter and singer."
No Depression
"[Anderson is] a literate working man’s poet."
Paste
"Equally at home with introspective ballads as he is with political dirges."
The Onion A/V Club
   
SUNDAY  MAY 9th  8pm  $15/18
FRED EAGLESMITH (With Full Band)    
The New Yorker magazine said it best: “If you’re missing Fred Eaglesmith, you’re really missing out.” An award-winning and acclaimed music auteur of the highest order, he has forged a singular and distinctive legacy with his songs, recordings, live performances, achievements and impact unlike that of anyone else in contemporary music. And done so as a fiercely independent and original artist through the sheer power of the music he creates.
 
SATURDAY  MAY 15th  8pm  $12/14
EILEN JEWELL  

Boise-born and Boston-based, Jewell has quickly distinguished herself as one of the rising stars of a new generation of roots musicians. Jewell is showing she can wander with the best of them, and write riveting song-stories about her adventures along the way.” Indicative of Jewell’s strong following in Europe, The Word in the UK described her as “A voice of real distinction [that] manages to transcend some powerful influences and pierce the fog long enough for her own point of view to emerge.”


Special Guests: BLACKBIRD PIE

   
TUESDAY  MAY 18th  8pm
DIAS FELICES      
Details to follow
 
   
FRIDAY  MAY 21st  8pm  $10/12
ELIZABETH COOK     

To say that Elizabeth Cook’s background is like something out of a country song would be wildly underestimating the entire genre. The youngest of 11 half-brothers and sisters, she grew up in rural Florida where her musician parents met while playing in local country bars. Her father learned to play upright bass in a Georgia prison band while serving 11 years for running moonshine. Her mother, a singer and mandolin player from the hills of West Virginia, wrote her daughter’s first songs, including “Does My Daddy Love The Bottle More Than He Loves Me,” and had Elizabeth singing on stage at 4 years old.

 
   
SATURDAY  MAY 22nd  10pm  $8/10
PONTIAK and ARBOURETUM   

Pontiak  led by Van, Jennings and Lain Carney, three brothers from the Blue Ridge Mountains, Pontiak delivers powerful anthems that worm their way into your lobes and lay beautiful, noisy eggs.”

Arbouretum is showing teeth, getting restless. You hear it in Kale's nine-minute opening track, "Time Doesn't Lie"--the beast leads in as a rolling, interlude-filled folk-rock song with a powerful, cresting chorus/chorale.

Special Guest: Kevin Finn

 
   
THURSDAY  MAY 27th  8pm  $10/12
ZACH DEPUTY            

There is nothing out there like Zach Deputy. Truly a one-man band, he is a powerhouse of performance, technical chops, and one hell of a charismatic presence. Put simply, Zach Deputy does what is called live looping: layering sounds through the magic of technology to create a full band effect. He isn’t the only performer out there doing this, but he has taken the technique to the next level. First and foremost, however, Zach Deputy is a songwriter, a shredding guitarist and a soulful singer with a 4+ octave range.

   
FRIDAY  MAY 28th  8pm  $12/14
The GIBSON BROTHERS 

"Eric and Leigh Gibson's sweet harmonies fall somewhere between those of Phil and Don Everly, and Charlie and Ira Louvin ... There is little question about the role of the heart in the making of modern bluegrass music and there is no doubt that the Gibsons apply lots of it to the music they so clearly love to make." Eric Thom, Exclaim!                                      

"Very much the real deal." Daniel Durchholz, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

                                       

Special Guests:  The MON RIVER RAMBLERS

   
   
SATURDAY  JUNE 12th  9pm  $5
ROWDY BOVINES Reunion Show  
From 1990-1995, the Bovines were a force to be reckoned with! No, they weren't the 1st rockabilly band in the area but they probably made the strongest impact. Billy Poore, author of ROCKABILLY: A 40 Year Journey referred to them as "regional legends".

   
SATURDAY  JUNE 26th  9pm  $7
SHARKSKINS & BLOOD FEATHERS

From the briny deep, comes the tri-state area's premier surf/spy band, the Sharkskins! Da 'Skins are a group of individuals summoned by the spirit of the great Watusi Tuna Kahuna, the Pacific Rim god of surf and dance to go forth and bring sounds inspired by his greatness to the East Coast.  ******

Ben Dickey and Drew Mills formed Blood Feathers in 2005 to perpetuate America's most important export, Rock n' Roll music. Sailing the same tradewinds that brought rhythm to the New World and shipped gospel, blues, and jazz back as a thank you note, Dickey and Mills write songs that snug into the grooves of your grandmother's 78s. ******