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| - When I first heard that John Hiatt would be playing at the Carnegie Library in Munhall, I thought "You've gotta be kidding me. Why is one of the most gifted songwriters in all of pop/rockdom playing at a fricking library?" See that's how WYEP billed it. Like Darren W. states, this place is a well-kept secret. I'd never been to the Carnegie Library of Homestead (which is actually in Munhall). So what I didn't know was that it's a beautiful 1,000 seat auditorium.
Everything about this library including the music hall harkens back to the Gilded Age. Built in 1898, the music hall mainly hosted local community shows, church productions, and graduations. . But seeking to draw more visitors from outside the neighborhood -- and help the independent library's bottom line -- library officials decided to start booking major concerts at the music hall. It was renovated in 1998 and since then has hosted such acts as Hiatt, Patti Smith, Bare Naked Ladies, Toad the Wet Sprocket, etc. Lindsey Buckingham, Drive By Truckers, and Jon Anderson (formerly of Yes) are all slated to play here later this year.
The building itself seems to be of a Baroque design, common to public buildings of that era. I'm no architectural expert, so correct me if I'm wrong. The performance space is quite amazing. When entering, I was taken by the huge curtain acress the stage and the illuminated proscenium arch overhead. There are a few drawbacks though. First of all, parking around here is v-e-r-y limited. They have no lot, so you have to park on the street. Second of all, refreshments here are very limited too. They set up a temporary bar for each show. Third of all, the seats are all wooden so they get a little uncomfortable after awhile.
As for John Hiatt, I think the Trib Live described him best, stating that while you might not know his face nor even heard of him, you've probably heard his songs. Bonnie Raitt had a hit with , "Thing Called Love" (though she really altered it). "Riding with the King," was a hit for B.B. King (appropriately, though "the king" is a reference to Elvis Presely) and Eric Clapton as a duet. Others including
Kenny Rogers, Jewel, Delbert McClinton, Joe Cocker, Mandy Moore, and Linda Ronstadt have had hits with Hiatt's songs. Even Jon Bon Jovi did a version of "Have a Little Faith."
Hiatt's songs are well known for their wry wit. One of my favorite verses in all musicdom is from "Slow Turning": "And I'm yelling at the kids in the back/'Cos they're banging like-a Charlie Watts". Hiatt likes to name drop in some of his songs. "Shredding the Document" mentions both Larry King and Oprah Winfrey. Anyway, Hiatt tours extensively and he seems to be an old pro at performing live and that's a good thing.
You know an artist is still a vaiable songwriter and performer when you stick around for his new material. He did some songs from his new CD "Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns" which were just as good as anything else he's recorded. And of course he went through a lot of his classic songs like the aforementioned "Slow Turning" plus "Memphis in the Meantime", "Thing Called Love", and "Cry Love" among others.
Opening act was Big Head Todd & The Monsters, probably best known for "Please Don't Tell Her". Todd & Co. delivered a rollicking good set too.
I'm at the point now where I'd rather see a show at a venue like this than fork over megabucks for a concert at some McCorporate-Name-of-the-Month shed. I'm glad there are still great alternatives to shows sponsored by Live Nation. Come check out a show here at the Library some time!
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