Category Archives: Special Events

It’s time to celebrate a decade of soul and funk music.

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TITLE TOWN Soul & Funk Party | 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY
 with guest DJ SKEME RICHARDS
Saturday, October 5th
Spirit (Upstairs & Downstairs) // 242 51st St.
Pittsburgh, PA 15201
9pm – 2am; 21+ w/ ID, $10 at the door
RSVP on Facebook

*** The first 50 people will receive a limited edition poster from Pittsburgh’s Triangle Poster & Printing Co. ***

This is it. It’s time to celebrate a decade of soul music.

From the beginning, we didn’t know it would last this long. Despite ever-changing tastes and trends, TITLE TOWN has stayed relevant and has become one of Pittsburgh’s longest running and most successful events. Join us on Saturday, October 5th when we mark TEN YEARS of TITLE TOWN Soul & Funk Party and welcome Philadelphia’s DJ Skeme Richards to Spirit Hall to help us celebrate.

Even better – we’re now bringing in 2 heavy hitters to help us rock two FLOORS of soul and funk! Buscrates (16-bit Ensemble, ELQ) + Anthony Susan (For The Record, Get Down Gang) will keep yr head nodding in the Lodge all night.

In a world filled with misinformation and distractions – this music remains a constant. It helps us escape the real world, but also connects us – on the dance the floor – to one another. It heals us and takes us on a journey – from deep funk to disco, from Motown to Memphis, from Northern Soul to ‘50s R&B – for a few hours every month.

TITLE TOWN kicked off at the Shadow Lounge in East Liberty in October 2009 and has been holding it down for ten years at venues throughout the city. Up-tempo beats, funky grooves, and a blast of infectious energy from decades past, TITLE TOWN spins hand-picked rarities from regional scenes around the country – including music from right here in the Burgh. These anthems – cathartic classics to the rarest of the rare – will make you move.

THANK YOU to everyone who has supported us, danced with us, served (and spilled) drinks with us over the last ten years – let’s do it again.

DJ Skeme Richards

Lexdray writes, “When you think of Philadelphia’s rich history of musical contributions, you automatically notice that it is also a city known for birthing some of the greatest internationally known DJ’s who are masters of their art. One such person who has deep roots and connections to the City of Brotherly Love is Skeme Richards.”

“Digging and spinning genres across the board from Hip Hop to House, Funk & Soul classics to Disco, Nu Disco and beyond, Skeme keeps things classy and continuously strives to separate himself from the pack. While maintaining originality, he keeps his first class status as a true party rocker all while satisfying the partygoer at the same time. His all 45 Funk & Soul party, Hot Peas & Butta is one of the most successful brands in the genre worldwide.”

TITLE TOWN is excited to welcome DJ Skeme Richards as our guest for our ten year anniversary.

Advance tickets are on sale now. Admission is guaranteed with an advance ticket until 11:30 PM. After 11:30 PM admission is dependent on venue capacity.
Doors open early at 9pm. Early arrival is recommended.

A Stevie Wonder Birthday Bash!

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TITLE TOWN Soul & Funk Party presents:
“A STEVIE WONDER Birthday Bash”
Friday, May 13th
Ace Hotel Pittsburgh
9pm-2am // 21+ w/ ID // $7 at the door

“What I’m not confused about is the world needing much more love, no hate, no prejudice, no bigotry and more unity, peace and understanding. Period.” – Stevie Wonder

Join us on Friday night as we celebrate the birthday and musical genius of Stevie Wonder. Shake your limbs to a hitmaking grooves of Little Stevie’s early classics and get down to the funky, sophisticated soul of his diverse later work that made him an inspiration to the world and musicians everywhere.

You can look forward to Stevie classics, but also expect deeper cuts and underplayed Stevie tunes in addition to TITLE TOWN favorites all night long.

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Children’s Health Fund and Pittsburgh’s Rainbow Kitchen Community Services.

RSVP ON FACEBOOK HERE

TT ‘DANCE & SHOW’ with Wesley Bright & The Hi-Lites!

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TT_D&S_WB_2015A five-hour “DANCE & SHOW” featuring LIVE performances by WESLEY BRIGHT & THE HI-LITES! + TITLE TOWN Soul & Funk Party DJs spinning all night long!
Friday, November 13th
9:00 pm
Thunderbird Cafe
Pittsburgh, Pa.
$10; 21+

RSVP + ADVANCE TICKETS ON SALE NOW: https://www.showclix.com/event/wesley-bright-and-the-hi-l

Friday, November 13th – TITLE TOWN Soul & Funk Party is pleased to announce the return of its “DANCE & SHOW” series featuring THE RETURN of Akron Ohio’s eight-piece, high-energy soul revivalists – WESLEY BRIGHT & THE HI-LITES!

The band will perform two sets with TITLE TOWN DJ’s spinning soul and funk 45s throughout the evening – a truly a wild, one-of-a-kind show and dance party not to be missed!

WESLEY BRIGHT & the HI-LITES

“From the crisp, dapper suits to the skilled orchestration, the ensemble has proven they’re studied performers through and through. But still, they leave no doubt that soul music is about the heart and that it stirs feet as much as it stirs emotions, which is how they’ve wowed so many crowds. They light fires under people. It might even be unsafe—certainly unwise—to sit through a Wesley Bright and the Hi-Lites performance, as the audience rises to dance, sparked out of their seats by a hot, sonic roar and the kind of showmanship you might have feared had been lost if you weren’t witnessing it firsthand.” – Brittany Nader, The Devil Strip

“The first thing you notice about a Wesley Bright & the Hi-Lites show is the dancing. This crowd is moving. They’re doing the watusi, the mashed potato, the twist and then some. Young, old, white, black, dressed in jeans and dressed in suits, pumps and pearls, they’re moving, “ writes Laura DeMarco of Cleveland’s The Plain Dealer.

Then your eyes are drawn to the man on stage, Wesley Bright himself, a honey-voiced frontman who’s got the pipes and the moves to keep the crowd going all night.

Then, of course, the band: a seven-piece Northern Soul group with a horn section straight out of the ’60s. Like Bright, they’re clad in sharp suits and have been regulary selling out venues in Northeast Ohio and beyond.

Wesley Bright & the Hi-Lites are no typical Northeast Ohio band circa 2014. And a Wesley Bright and the Hi-Lites show is no ordinary gig.

Since the band was formed in Akron in spring 2011 by bassist Bob Basone, drummer Nick Fritsch and singer Bright, the enthralling group has become one of the biggest draws in town.

With sold out shows at Cleveland’s Beachland Ballroom, two singles on Hi-D-Ho Records, the band is currently at work on a full-length release, while expanding its touring base across the U.S and fielding offers to tour the U.K., where their singles have been getting rave press and regular spins.

Don’t miss THE RETURN of Wesley Bright & The Hi-Lites in Pittsburgh!

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZWGR3Ak7Wk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WesleyBrightAndTheHiLites

Venue Information:
Thunderbird Cafe
4023 Butler St.
Pittsburgh, Pa.
http://www.thunderbirdcafe.net

TITLE TOWN ‘Dance & Show’ featuring Pittsburgh’s own SPANKY WILSON & The All-Stars performing LIVE!

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TITLE TOWN Soul & Funk Dance Party presents:

TITLE TOWN ‘Dance & Show’ featuring Pittsburgh’s own
SPANKY WILSON & The All-Stars performing LIVE!

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Friday, September 18th at Thunderbird cafe
4023 Butler St. (Lawrenceville)
Doors open 9 pm, 21+, $10 at door

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For those of you who have been following TITLE TOWN since day one, you surely remember the event we did with the one & only Renaldo Domino (Twinight Records) backed by JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound. This was back in November 2009, in the Shadow Lounge days. After relocating TITLE TOWN to Brillobox (2013), we did another live event with Wesley Bright & The Hi-Lites at Thunderbird Cafe. We called it TITLE TOWN ‘Dance & Show’ and it drew the better part of three hundred people!

On Friday, September 18th we are doing another TITLE TOWN Dance & Show, once again at the Thunderbird, and this one will include a live performance by Pittsburgh’s own, world-renowned songstress, Spanky Wilson & The All-Stars!

Spanky Wilson should need no introduction. Her first three albums (1968-1970) were produced by Aretha Franklin’s musical conductor H.B. Barnum. She subsequently recorded for Westbound Records (1975), where she was label mates with the likes of Funkadelic, The Ohio Players, The Detroit Emeralds, Denise LaSalle and many others. After spending many years in France, her career was rejuvenated a decade ago by a UK-based DJ, Will Holland aka Quantic of the Quantic Soul Orchestra, who released her 2006 full-length album I’m Thankful. The All-Stars are comprised of A-list Pittsburgh-based musicians: Max Leake (keys), Paul Thompson (bass), Thomas Wendt (drums) and Lou Stellute (sax).

This will be a TITLE TOWN event for the record books. Doors open early at 9:00 pm. TITLE TOWN resident DJ’s J. Malls & Gordy G. will be spinning Soul & Funk 45’s through out the night. You are all encouraged to stay late and close the night out TITLE TOWN Soul & Funk Dance Party-style after the live performance!

Mark your calendars and stay tuned for more information on pre-sale tickets.

RSVP here!

Too much of a good thing…

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It’s a big weekend in the Burgh and we’ve got a double-dip for people looking for non-stop revelry.

TITLE TOWN Soul & Funk Party returns to the Brillobox for a SOUL EXPLOSION Saturday night…and you know the drill: Five hours of best sound offerings on the block – Northern Soul, Deep Funk, Disco, Boogie, Motown, Latin Boogaloo and more – all on original 45s, played loud for our favorite dancers and dance floor in the city. Doors and music at 9pm. Only $6 at the door or $3 before 10pm. RSVP here for updates.

And while we never advise not partying with us the entire night, we won’t hold it against you if you decide to check out the The Dirty Ball. The wild, funky, anything goes, annual fundraiser for our very good friends over at Attack Theatre is a guaranteed good time, with food and drink, art installations, live performances, and more. The Dirty Ball kicks off at 8pm with TITLE TOWN’s DJ Gordy G. spinning the beats ’til about midnight. J.Malls will get the party started at the Brillobox.

Pick your poison or do it all and don’t sleep. TITLE TOWN Soul & Funk Party and The Dirty Ball have got you covered.

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Saturday: “DANCE & SHOW” with WESLEY BRIGHT & THE HI-LITES + 4/5 BRILLOBOX + 4/12 THE DIRTY BALL

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Get ready Pittsburgh…

THIS Saturday, March 29th, TITLE TOWN Soul & Funk Party is stoked to be bringing Akron, Ohio’s #1 soul sensation, Wesley Bright & The Hi-Lites to the Thunderbird Cafe for their  first show in Pittsburgh!

Wesley Bright & The Hi-Lites, an eight piece soul outfit from Akron, Ohio, has released two 45s and their current single “Tell Me” is available on iTunes.  They’re currently on tour and just wrapped up the recording of their first full-length record.  They have been regularly selling out shows in Cleveland and have been getting radio play and spins at top nights in Europe. They’ve got a great horn section and their frontman, Wesley Bright, has some serious pipes and a whole lot of energy.  If you’re into Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings or Charles Bradley, this show is for you.

For their first show in the Burgh, we’re doing a Title Town “Dance & Show”…think part live show, part soul dance party.  The band will perform 2 sets with DJs spinning 45s all night. The Thunderbird is also now entirely SMOKE FREE for live shows.

 
  •  Doors open and DJs start at 8 p.m.
  • The show is 21+ and tickets are only $7 at the door or at ShowClix.com
  • The band will will perform 2 sets.
  • 100% smoke free and plenty of room for dancing!

Title Town Soul & Funk Party - April 5th

SATURDAY, April 5th
TITLE TOWN Soul & Funk Party
@ brillobox (4104 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh)
Doors/music at 9pm; 21+; $6

RSVP HERE

* TITLE TOWN temporarily moves to a FIRST SATURDAY this month! *

* DOORS OPEN EARLY AT 9 P.M. *

After last month’s killer party, TITLE TOWN is back at the Brillobox on Saturday, April 5th. Come get down to a unique blend of rare and classic soul, deep funk, vintage R&B, soulful disco, Latin boogalooo and more 45 RPM vinyl to make you move on the dance floor.

With the resurgence of soul and funk records new and old and artists like Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Charles Bradley and Nick Waterhouse packing venues and filling dance floors around the world, TITLE TOWN keeps it real with your go-to night of classic and obscure dance music from the greatest decades of music.

The weather is finally warmin’ up, so get off the couch, shine your shoes and drop in. You’ll be glad you did.

TITLE TOWN Soul & Funk Party Live Mixes: http://www.mixcloud.com/titletownpgh

RSVP HERE

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Get up. Get down. The Dirty Ball 2014.

Save the date! One of the Burgh’s best parties, The Dirty Ball returns on April 12th! We’re gonna be spinning the tunes guaranteed to make you groove and move! Tickets on sale now! Get em’ here before they’re gone!

The Dirty Ball
Saturday, April 12th, 2014
Jane Street Warehouse
2120 Jane Street in the South Side
8:00 p.m. to Midnight
Ages 21 and over only.

Featuring Attack Theatre performances, beats by TITLE TOWN Soul & Funk Party, art installations, fashion throwdowns, libations and fare.

TITLE TOWN Soul & Funk Party 4 YEAR ANNIVERSARY with New York City’s MR. FINE WINE

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TITLE TOWN Soul & Funk Party
4 YEAR ANNIVERSARY w/ guest DJ MR. FINE WINE (WFMU’s Downtown Soulville)
Saturday, October 12th
BRILLOBOX (4104 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh)
9pm – 2am; $6; 21+
RSVP HERE 

On Saturday, October 12th, TITLE TOWN Soul & Funk Party will celebrate its four-year anniversary at the Brillobox. The party, founded by host DJs J.Malls and Gordy G., will continue its tradition of bringing some of the top DJs of the day to the Burgh with a special guest appearance from New York City’s MR. FINE WINE – DJ and radio host of WFMU’s Downtown Soulville.

In addition to Mr Fine Wine, New York City’s DJ ONE MINT JULEP will be in the house spinning her brand of wild R&B and soul.

ABOUT MR. FINE WINE

Mr. Fine Wine grew up in Detroit in the 1960s and ’70s, surrounded by music and by music-industry people. His schoolmates included the offspring of Motown stars like Eddie Kendricks and David Ruffin; his uncle (believe it or not!) taught John Lee Hooker how to play guitar chords and owned a local label that put out jazz and soul records. An avid collector of soul 45s for more than 25 years now, Fine Wine took up DJ’ing soon after he relocated to New York City. His radio show, “Downtown Soulville” (www.wfmu.org/playlists/sv), has been converting casual listeners around the globe into soul freaks since 1994. TimeOut London magazine called it one of the best independent music podcasts in the world, and the Village Voice named it New York’s best radio show in 2011. In addition to presiding over many local dance parties through the years (including the Empire State Soul Club, Bumpshop, Horse River Social, and Thee Knights of the Round Tables), he has held down a weekly residency at Manhattan dive bar Botanica since 1996—perhaps the longest-running weekly soul-45 listening party anywhere, and one that has attracted visiting luminaries such as Keb Darge, Yo La Tengo, Cut Chemist, the Dap Kings, and the Dirtbombs. Fine Wine has spun his across-the-board mix of vintage R&B, soul, blues, and funk in Spain, Belgium, Turkey, Italy, Russia, Scotland, Finland, England, Canada, Norway, and Germany, and he has backed the likes of Sharon Jones, the Mighty Hannibal, the Gories, Brian Auger, Dee Dee Ramone, DJ Shadow, the Detroit Cobras, Cody Black, Rudy Ray Moore, and Nathaniel Mayer. He has also compiled and written liner notes for the collections “Vital Organs” (Grooovysounds Unltd.), “Crash of Thunder,” “Teach Me to Monkey,” “Scratch That Itch,” and “Just a Little Bit of the Jumpin’ Bean” (Vampisoul); he has two more Vampisoul compilations due out in 2014. Fine Wine and his friend the soul legend the Mighty Hannibal are the subjects of a feature-length documentary film, currently in production, called “Showtime.”

Downtown Soulville archives page: http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/sv

Above photo credit: Eilon Paz, Dust & Grooves

SATURDAY NIGHT: Do the ¡SOUNDCRASH BOOGALOO!

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SATURDAY, August 17th
2 sound systems enter and only 1 will leave…

TITLE TOWN SOUL & FUNK PARTY
VS.
PANDEMIC (GLOBAL SOUND SYSTEM)

SOUNDCRASH ¡BOOGALOO!

Can the old school soul take down the global glitch?

One night only! TITLE TOWN and PANDEMIC go head-to-head, beat for beat in an all-night “sound clash” style dance party of epic proportions.

TITLE TOWN’s Gordy G. packs quite a punch with his arsenal of rare groove Boogaloo, Funk, Soul, and Disco. While PANDEMIC Pete dishes out the Balkan Stompers, Eurotrash Ghettotech Chalga, and Tropixel Cumbias and Bassed out Bollywood.

Also, a very special guest will interrupt the night with a protest of sound to break up the battle. You may have seen them marching in a parade. Let’s just leave it at that.

at the BRILLOBOX (4104 Penn Ave.)
Doors @ 9:30pm; $6
RSVP here.

TITLE TOWN presents LIVING IN AMERICA: Soul, Funk, Disco and Hip Hop Grooves from the U.S.A.

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TITLE TOWN presents:
LIVING IN AMERICA: Soul, Funk, Disco and Hip Hop Grooves from the U.S.A.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 3rd
BRILLOBOX (4104 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh)
9:30pm – 2am; $5

Celebrate your constitutional right to get down!

Before the cracking of beers and the BBQ commences, kick off the 4th of July weekend and get your dance (and drink) on at the Brillobox when TITLE TOWN presents LIVING IN AMERICA: Soul, Funk, Disco and Hip Hop grooves from the good ol’ U.S.A.

In 1950s to the ’70s, African-American musicians launched their careers in cities like Detroit, Chicago, New Orleans, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Pa. Tonight J.Malls and Gordy G. pack the crates with uptempo funk, disco-driven soul tunes, early hip-hop, summertime classics and more – from the places where the music was born.

We’re pretty sure you’ll break a sweat on the dance floor – cuz’ it’s gonna be hotter than July.

Only $5 at the door all night long. Early arrival is recommended.

Tell us you’re comin’ and spread the word. RSVP here.

It’s time to get down. Upcoming events…

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SATURDAY, APRIL 27th

TITLE TOWN is stoked to support Attack Theatre and be part of the THE DIRTY BALL again this year! We’re steppin’ out of the box and hitting it hard with ’70s and ’80s disco, boogie and electro-funk grooves + TITLE TOWN classics and a few surprises in the mix so you can DANCE ALL NIGHT.  If you’ve been, you know. If you haven’t, you should.  It all goes down this Saturday, April 27th, but get your tickets now because this event sells out every year!

SATURDAY, MAY 11th
Pittsburgh’s preeminent funky soul dance party returns to the BRILLOBOX on Saturday, May 11th: Five hours of straight-up, unfiltered SOUL, FUNK, and R&B 45s played loud – givin’ you an excuse to sweat, smile and otherwise turn it loose.

This month we welcome back guest DJ ROBERT FEARLESS (Baltimore) – the man behind those SAVE YOUR SOUL parties, the Charm City’s wildest and funkiest dance party featuring dance-floor driven soul, funk and R&B 45’s with a who’s who roster of guest DJs every month at the historic Lithuanian Hall.

It all goes down at the Brillobox, Pittsburgh’s favorite neighborhood music venue, offering a full food menu, stiff drinks and a commitment and appreciation for quality music and art.

Take note that this party starts at 9pm and fills up fast! Early arrival is recommended! See you on the dance floor!

RSVP here.

Click on the fliers for more info.

Title Town Soul & Funk Party returns on Saturday, May 11th!