Lou Pietosi will soon live out a dream held by many one-time musicians of a certain age everywhere -- he's going to reunite the band.
Or more to the point, he's going to reunite two local bands that played together three decades ago.
Silent Partner, a band Mr. Pietosi formed in 1986 with his brother, Al, and three other South Hills men, will perform in a joint concert at 7 p.m. Sept. 24 with the Nardozi Brothers band for the first time in about 25 years.
"We played on the Fourth of July in Dormont with the Nardozis, and that was the big time for us," Mr. Pietosi said. "I have never given up the idea of coming back to Dormont to play for a big crowd we know."
It was a dream deferred for many years, until Mr. Pietosi, 51, heard about the reopening earlier this year of the Dormont Hollywood Theater.
"I always joked that I wanted to play in a full house in front of my hometown fans," Mr. Pietosi said.
And he decided quickly that the Dormont Hollywood was the best venue for the event. The single-screen theater has a balcony, a concession area and a lobby.
A rock concert fits in to what John Maggio, president of the nonprofit Friends of the Hollywood Theater, has imagined for the reincarnation of the theater, with art shows and concerts in addition to movie screenings.
"That's part of our mission statement," Mr. Maggio said. "We are looking to function as a community resource, not only to show movies but other types of events. In this day and age, that's what a small theater needs to do to survive."
Indeed, since the Hollywood reopened in April, the venue has been used for art shows and performances, in addition to movie showings. But on Sept. 24 the Hollywood will rock.
"It's a real opportunity to get old friends and new friends together and laugh about memories," Mr. Pietosi said. "It should be quite a fun night."
Mr. Pietosi has arranged sponsors for the event and plans to donate all proceeds to the Hollywood, to help it keep its doors open, avoiding the fate many small theaters have suffered.
Mr. Pietosi, now of Canonsburg, lived in Dormont from 1961 to 2000 and often watched movies at the Dormont Hollywood on Potomac Avenue, as well as another theater just blocks away.
"When I saw that South Hills Theater get torn down, that was such a part of my youth, it just broke my heart," he said.
He thinks the first concert could be the start of a regular feature at the Hollywood.
"If we can keep this thing going, then every six months or so we could do the show and invite local Dormont talent," Mr. Pietosi said.
Read more....
via source
0 Comments