Pittsburgh: Music on the Edge 2/14

Pittsburgh skyline from the Duquesne Incline

Shortly after we recorded Burr Van Nostrand's Voyage in a White Building I at NEC in October 2012, Mathew Rosenblum (a composer teaching at the University of Pittsburgh) approached us about performing the piece on UPitt's Music on the Edge series sometime in 2014. It was a prospect that took a few months to unfold, but by the 4/2012 release of the recording, we had a date for the concert planned, and some information about funding. It took place on February 22nd, and also featured the other two pieces on the NWR release.

By Thanksgiving (the time my living situation in NY was shaken up), we knew we were on, and had just started to get deep into planning for the event. It was rather convenient that I had to relocate to Boston, as I was largely responsible for coordinating schedules of those at NEC who would be joining us for the performance. Anthony and I had to make some player changes, and I was busy showing the score to the newbies before we started rehearsals in January. We had 3 consecutive weekly rehearsals in Boston before we traveled to the University of Pittsburgh to get settled and rehearse with their string orchestra.

Ducks in a Bowl

Also leading up to our trip was the issue of travel. We explored a couple of options (renting a van vs. flying), and decided to fly most of the soloists, while Allison Poh (the new flutist) and I would drive to PA via New Haven to pick up Burr. Allison had done a few substantial road trips before, and has a great set of wheels. We made our journey out there in two legs, leaving for New Haven on Thursday night, and leaving for Pittsburgh on Friday.

Allison was playing in a concert at NEC the night we left, and we arrived in New Haven shortly after midnight. Burr put us up in his music room, where we found a bowl of painted ducks, and several other interesting things, including old sketches (mostly harmonic schemes) on Burr's electric keyboard. When we got up in the morning, Burr made us breakfast, and by the time we got moving we were fully awake and ready for the long drive ahead.

Getting out of the snow in New Haven

The night before, we parked too quickly to realize that we would be stuck in a snowbank (New Haven doesn't have great snow removal tactics), and though we intended to leave before noon, we had to dig ourselves out before the car could move. Burr had warned me of this, and I wish I had been alert enough to remember that when we arrived. We had a good shovel, patience, and were assisted by two very strong and generous locals named Eddie and Al. If it weren't for them, I'm not sure we would have been able to get out! We were successful, and we hit the road by 12:15pm. Almost as soon as we hit the highway out of the city, it began to rain, but this wasn't a big issue. It stopped by the time we entered New Jersey, about two hours into our drive.

We knew we'd have to make several rest stops, but I don't think we stopped until we were in Westchester NY. About an hour into NJ, we stopped at a Starbuck's, and for Burr this proved to be a new and delightful experience. Considering the several quick stops we made, our time (and gas mileage) was great. We arrived in Pittsburgh at 10:15pm, checked into our suites at the Shadyside Inn, and went to Ritter's Diner, the local 24-hour joint with Mathew. This place was a real throwback - nor the interior, menu, or staff had changed for years, and while the food wasn't life-changing, it was cheap, and exactly what we needed at that time.

Ritter's Diner!

Shadyside is a residential area that is populated by a large number of families and students (it's about a half-mile from the hall our concert was in). The Inn is two blocks from a good strip of restaurants and shops, so we didn't have to go too far for anything we needed.

Allison at Jerry's

The next morning, we hit another great diner for breakfast, and proceeded to visit Jerry's Records. Jerry's is a place where anyone could spend a day looking through their collection. I really mean anyone. I scored an LP of a Japanese marching band, if that tells you anything. Allison walked away with a few records as well. If it were up to her, we would have spent more time there, but I was anxious to see more of Pittsburgh, and meet up with the others who had flown in that day. Before our 9 to 11 rehearsal with the string orchestra, we met up with Jason Coleman (solo cello) and Tara Mueller (solo violin) for dinner near the hotel. Allison plans to someday start a blog rating french onion soup around the country, and I think the french onion soup at Elbow Room ranks high on her list.

After dinner, we went to a bottle shop to pick up some libations (we knew we'd want them), and walked away with a wide array of beers - ranging from local craft brews, to standards and specials that were too cheap to pass up. Between 8 of us, we managed to finish everything we bought by the end of the trip. Pittsburgh's own Black & Gold went 6 for $3, and it was pretty awful. On the other hand, Great Lakes brewing company does wonderful things.

A suite at the Shadyside Inn

Mathew arranged for hotel shuttles to take us to the hall, but we ended a slightly extended rehearsal with the soloists just late enough that we couldn't be taken back. I bought a few samosas earlier from the Indian market around the corner, but after the rehearsal most of the soloists decided to visit Ritter's again, and we were joined by Anthony, who kept the jukebox going. We listened to alot of classics, and went back and forth on our opinions of Beach Boys favorites, and pop-jazz singers of the 80's (I'm blanking of particular names that Anthony and the others discussed in detail). We left Ritter's for the second and last time at 2:30am.

The next day, I got up and had the most incredible french toast at the diner (Pam's) on Walnut Street near the hotel. We met up with Sonny Lalchandani (sitar), and drove out to the Strip in downtown Pittsburgh. The Strip is an area filled with restaurants and shops that turns into an open marketplace on the weekends. It was around 55 and sunny when we were out, and we walked around for a few hours, eating incredible food, and interacting with the incredibly nice locals. Below is a list of places I recal visiting, and a brief description of each:

Leaf & Bean

Leaf & Bean Cafe - we got our morning coffee here. This place reminds me of the Radio Bean in Burlington - they had live music going between 12-3, and in place of serving alcohol, there were two humidor rooms. Patrons could smoke inside, too. It is something you'd never see in MA or VT, but it seemed to have a regular crowd, and similar fragmented and funky decor not at all unfamiliar to my experiences at the Bean in VT. The music was good, too.

S&D Polish Deli - This place was both a restaurant and a market, complete with giant barrels of sauerkraut, pickles, and potatoes. We ordered a dozen perogis, and ate them rather quickly. Polish food is new to me, but if Boston has a good Polish place, I'm going to frequent it. We could have eaten more, but we knew that we'd be going elsewhere not too long after.  We walked out and promptly scored some great oysters being sold on the street.

The Thin Man Sandwich Shop - This was a great example of something Boston desperately needs - a good local sandwich joint! They had a paired down menu, and I got the least ornate of their offerings. It was simple, but really great. Allison and Sonny went for the chicken liver sandwich, and while they probably wouldn't order it again, it proved to be an interesting experience.

Peace, Love, & Little Donuts - These donuts were tiny, but extremely good nonetheless. We were full after our visit to the Thin Man, but it didn't take long for us to finish a dozen of these things. I think I ate more than the others, but it took a couple hours of stomach settling and more tourism to finish them off.

Sonny and I at the top of the incline

After leaving the strip, we drove over the river to the Duquesne incline. The inclines (there are two) are tramways that scale Mt. Washington, a steep hill that gives you a great view of the city. The cars are large enough to fit a few dozen passengers, and you have a great 360 degree view. When you get to the top there's a big observation deck with a gift shop and general store. We spent just enough time up there to get the idea, and left feeling pretty special. Pittsburgh is a very hilly city, and when you see it from up there, the layout of the roads into Shadyside and Squirrel Hill make much more sense.

Anthony in rehearsal

We went back to the hotel with enough time for a quick power nap, and I took a shuttle to the hall with Burr. The others had either gone to the hall earlier, or walked to reenergize a bit before our last rehearsal. Voyage had really come together, and we left the rehearsal feeling great about what would happen that evening.

While we were touring the strip, I got a voicemail from my best friend and significant other Kalindi Bellach, saying that her plans that day had changed and she was coming to the concert from Ohio.  I was surprised by this, and it's one of the things that made this trip even more wonderful for me personally. Initially, it wasn't looking like she could make it, and I went into the trip feeling sort of bummed. She got in after the rehearsal let out, and we went to the inn to get a parking permit for the car she was driving. I'm not sure she'd ever seen me perform, but she's seen the evolution of the project from day one. We got to the hall just in time to catch the first piece (Phaedra Antinomes for solo violin, played wonderfully by Paul Severtson - it's original performer).

Fantasy Manual for Urban Survival was next on the program, and this was by many accounts the most up-to-date and definitive performance of the piece. The trio that played it had worked together before, and they plan on keeping it in their repertoire. It lasts about 35 minutes, and is in many ways more intimate and epic than Voyage. During the performance, I couldn't help but glance around the hall in amazement of people's reactions to the sonic universe that we'd been cast into. It's something I want to feel like always and forever, and this whole experience proves that we're all getting closer to that goal.

After intermission, we played Burr's Voyage in a White Building I, and this was by far the best performance we've had to date. Everybody was on top of their game, and following the performance we were assured by Anthony and many others that we'll play it again. I wasn't too worried about that, but at the same time, we didn't fully know how it was going to turn out, and it's quite the production. There are several avenues that could lead to the next performances of this big crazy piece, and I have no doubts that we'll get to them. I was very happy to hear from the audience afterwards that they really loved what they'd heard, and as my friend Andrew Clinkman (the guitarist for Voyage) noted, this particular context for our performance was truly life-affirming.

Just after the concert, we all headed to a gathering at Mathew's house, where there was a ton of great food, and a great drink selection. It was great to spend some time with everyone after the performance, and meet even more audience members. It surprised me how late we ended up being there, despite having to get up the next morning and travel back home. 1 1/2 hours was our collective sleep average, and fortunately everybody flying out the next morning made it out on time. Kalindi was driving back to Ohio, and left when we did. I think since we've been in different cities, this was the shortest amount of time we've spent in the same place, but I couldn't have been happier to see her.

Burr, Allison, and myself left around 7:30, and made even better time on the way back to CT (we got in just after 5pm). After dropping off Burr and a quick stop for dinner in New Haven, we continued our trek to Boston, and arrived at 7:30. Exactly 12 hours prior to our departure from the 'burgh. On our last leg of the drive, we continued to stop frequently and recharge with coffee and sugar. Allison went straight to another rehearsal for a gig at Boston College (conveniently not far from my apartment), while I sat in amazement of what we had all just experienced. Though we were beat, I was also completely wired, and thrilled at what we had packed in to 4 or 5 days. Though this wasn't a multi-city tour, it was my first real experience on the road with music, and I was happy to share it with so many others. This project is not over, and we know that Burr's music will continue to play on for years to come.

Burr with the Fantasy Manual trio, post-performance