The party will go around the clock this September as the Thrival Innovation + Music Festival announces its official after party schedule. Thrival Innovation + Music Festival is an annual event featuring multiple days of interactive, interdisciplinary, innovation-focused programming capped by a two-day outdoor live music experience, this year's music highlights include diverse performances by The Chainsmokers, CHVRCHES, Thievery Corp, Metric, Ty Dollar $ign, Hudson Mohawke, Lettuce, Sir The Baptist+ many others.
Festival coordinators determined four respective locations for its official after parties located on Pittsburgh’s North and South Sides as host sites, as the James Street Gastropub and Speakeasy, Alphabet City, the Mattress Factory, and the Rex Theater welcome festival attendees for late night festivities.
A blend of historic sites, new developments, and established Pittsburgh venues are the focus for this year, according to festival organizers. The after parties also serve as fundraisers for host sites, or partner nonprofits and their programming initiatives, as weeknight party entry fees are solely a “bring-what-you-can” donation. The weekend after show tickets range from $15 to $25, respectively.
“Whether it’s a 50 cent or 50-dollar donation, we want to make sure the entire community can come and enjoy the evening parties. They’ll be fantastic events and a lot of fun — but not financially out of reach for anyone,” says Dan Law, Thrival executive producer.
Tuesday night takes attendees over to a local music scene favorite, the James Street Gastropub and Speakeasy — with donations going to the nonprofit Radiant Hall. Music acts include the Anton DeFade Trio, Thrival 2015 alumnus Courtesy, as well as local indie-folk favorite, Ferdinand the Bull.
Wednesday’s late night party sets down at Alphabet City[1] (a recently redeveloped Masonic Temple). An initiative of City of Asylum, a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit serving as a sanctuary for endangered literary writers, Alphabet City soon opens its doors to the public, with the weeknight Thrival after party serving as one of the spaces first public events. JENESIS Magazine artist, DJ Gianni Carter, and alternative funk act Chupacabra are scheduled to perform. Donations support City of Asylum and its mission.[2] Prior to these music acts will be an exclusive sneak preview of Generation Startup, a documentary featuring the journeys of 6 young entrepreneurs in the highly selective Venture for America program.
On Thursday, September 21, Phil Hartnoll, one half of legendary electronic act Orbital, spins at the Mattress Factory alongside veteran DJ and producer, King Britt, and dance remix mastermind, Tommie Sunshine. The event will be a warm up for upcoming 40th anniversary celebrations for the installation art museum, as well as donation drive for a new James Turrell installation piece, “Skyspace.” The world-renowned light artist recently donated designs (valued at $1 million) to the Mattress Factory to begin the as-of-now unfunded installation process.
On Friday and Saturday night, after shows kick off on Pittsburgh’s South Side jam/funk stalwart location, the Rex Theater — which features bass music producer/DJ, Buku, on Friday, and California psychedelic rock band, Chris Robinson and the Brotherhood, on Saturday night.
RSVPs for weeknight after parties are available now online at thrivalfestival.com. Tickets for the official Thrival after shows are available at rextheater.com.
