WPTS Spring Break Series – Favorite Local Artists
By Stevie Priller
Today for the WPTS Spring Break Series, we asked staffers that are not from the Pittsburgh area about their favorite hometown musicians.
Sam Taylor, whose hometown is less than 15 miles from mine, says Sonnder is his favorite local band. The lead singer, who once subbed for his physics class, described himself as a “part time substitute teacher, full time rock star.” About halfway through class, he “broke out his guitar and sang [them] a little ditty he was working on,” which inspired Sam to check out his band. Having seen Sonnder play multiple shows myself, I can agree that they’re cool and definitely worth checking out.
Some people have simpler reasons for liking their favorite local band. Margie’s favorite band from her part of New Jersey is Inskagnito. Why? “They’re ska!” Another one of our staffers, Elyssa, likes Hovvdy because “they are cool and DIY.” (Click here for a review of Hovvdy’s latest release.)
Calder couldn’t decide which local band is his favorite, naming both Killdozer and Zola Jesus as equal contenders. “Killdozer is incredible because they have a great sense of humor and make some really noisy mean music that helped influence grunge. Zola Jesus makes some of the most interesting, dark, electronic pop music with a cool goth edge.”
Mike Hamby’s favorite band from his hometown is an 80s cover band called The Legwarmers. He says “I love the outfits they wear, and they always put on a great show. I’ve heard them cover Journey, KISS, and a bunch of other bands. They are just a blast.”
A band from my town that I’ve traveled back home multiple times just to see is Pansy. Albeit with a different lineup, Pansy played the second DIY show I ever went to, back in 2014, and I’ve been going to see them play ever since. Check out their latest release here.
Getting involved with local music is something I’d definitely recommend; there’s nothing like being able to see amazing artists multiple times, year after year, and the community formed through mutual support of local music and arts. Never forget, at some point your favorite band was considered local music. If you want to get involved with supporting local music, tune in to Local Show, Friday’s 5-6pm on WPTS.
You can tune in from 8 to 10 PM on Tuesdays to hear Stevie host Double Trouble on WPTS Radio. This feature was edited by Alyssa Davidson of the WPTS Editorial Board.
