The Pittsburgh Banjo Club is a non-profit organization made up of men and women from all walks of life, with a common goal - the encouragement and preservation of the banjo, America’s Native Instrument. Founded on December 15, 1988, by Frank Rossi, the Pittsburgh Banjo Club is dedicated to keeping the music of the Golden Age of the Banjo alive (1920-1930). Frank Rossi was inducted into the National Four-String Banjo Hall of Fame on May 24, 2001, at the Banjo Hall of Fame in Guthrie, Oklahoma.

The Pittsburgh Banjo Club has over 100 members, including banjos, trumpets, tubas, and bass. Dressed in bright, colorful uniforms, the Pittsburgh Banjo Club makes a striking appearance while playing the happiest music in the world, putting a smile on your face, a tap in your toe and a song in your heart! The happiest sound in the world is a banjo and the Pittsburgh Banjo Club provides miles of smiles!

The Pittsburgh Banjo Club program consists of sing-alongs, vocals, banjo solos, music from the ’20s and ’30s, polkas and Dixieland. The Pittsburgh Banjo Club is available for banquets, parties, grand openings, concerts, sing-alongs, conventions, fund raisers, political rallies, reunions and any other gathering where the happy sound of the banjo is needed. As a non-profit group, the Pittsburgh Banjo Club donates the monies raised through its performances to local charities.

During the past 19 years, the Pittsburgh Banjo Club has performed at the Cultural District Street Fair, Pittsburgh; Ambridge Nationality Days; Butler County Community College Summer Concerts; Star Lake Amphitheater; Brodhead Cultural Center, Monaca, PA; Carnegie Science Center; Carnegie Music Hall; Heinz Hall; Civic Arena; Three Rivers Arts Festival; PPG Place;
DiCesare & Engler Riverfest; Three Rivers Stadium; Major League Baseball's All Star Game FanFests; PNC Park Opening Day; Three Rivers Regatta; First Night Pittsburgh; Olin Fine Arts Center at Washington & Jefferson College; Casino Theatre, Vandergrift, PA, Groundhog Festival, Punxsutawney, PA, Kennywood Park, and the Gateway Clipper Fleet Sunday Family Cruises.

Nationally, the PBC has performed at the Chautauqua Institute, Lake Chautauqua, NY; Festival for the Arts. Erie, PA; Fretted Instrument Guild of America Conventions in New Orleans Nashua, NH., Ft. Mitchell, KY., and Raleigh, NC. In addition, the Pittsburgh Banjo Club performs for hospitals, nursing homes, senior centers and various other groups in and around the Pittsburgh area.

The club has donated over $50,000 to local Pittsburgh area charities.

2008

PITTSBURGH BANJO CLUB

PUBLIC PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Performances are open to the public. Some performances require an admission charge. This listing is subject to change without notice. Please contact the organizers for more details and to verify dates and times.

 

April 11

Lower Valley Food Bank Benefit
Springdale High School
Springdale, PA
7:30 P.M. Tickets: $10 for adults,
$6 for children under 12.
Also available at the door.
(724) 274-0867

 

May 3

Ligonier Valley Educational Trust Benefit
Ligonier Valley High School, Ligonier, PA
7:30 P.M. Advance Tickets: $8 Adults -- $5 Students
Tickets available at the door night of performance.
(724) 238-7392

May 10

Barbershop Chorus Concert
Woodland Hills High School
2550 Greensburg Pike, Churchill, PA
7:30 P.M. All Seats Reserved at $15.00
(412) 264-9298 for tickets.
www.harmonize.com/Greaterpittsburgh

May 17

Ambridge Nationality Days
Ambridge, PA
2 P.M. FREE (724) 266-3040
http://www.ambridgenationalitydays.com

July 3

Kennywood Park
3 P.M. FREE Concert
Kennywood Park has Admission Fee.
(412) 461-0500

 

July 5

Ellwood City Arts, Crafts & Food Festival
Ewing Park, Ellwood City
Big Arts, Crafts and Food Festival with Hundreds of Booths
1:30 P.M. FREE All-Day Entertainment
(724) 758-3115
www.Ellwood-City-Festival.net

 

July 12

Doo Dah Days (Stephen Foster Celebration)
Allegheny Cemetery, Butler Street Entrance
Lawrenceville, Pittsburgh
1:30 P.M. FREE All Day Entertainment/Tours/Rides
(412) 325-1300 info@doodahdays.com
For more information

 

July 15

Brodhead Cultural Center
Penn State Monaca Campus
Old Brodhead Road, Monaca
7:30 P.M. FREE (724) 773-3618
www.br.psu.edu/Information/10938.htm

 

July 19

Enon Valley Community Day
Enon Valley, PA
Two Shows — 1:30 P.M. & 3:30 P.M. FREE
(724) 366-5194

 

July 20

Butler County Community College
Succop Theater
Two Shows -Two Audiences
First Show: 6 P.M. - Second Show: 7:15 P.M. FREE
(724) 287-8711 www.bc3.edu/theater/events.asp
300 FREE tickets for each show available in the lobby on July 6 & July 13.
Remaining 140 tickets available July 20 before each show.

 

July 25

Cranberry Township Lunchtime Concert
Municipal Center Gazebo 2525 Rochester Road
Cranberry Twp., PA
12 P.M. FREE (724) 776-4806
www.cranberrytownship.org

 

Aug 1

Beaver Falls Summer Concert
37th Street Park
Rt. 18 & 37th Street
Beaver Falls, PA
7 P.M. FREE (724) 847-2808
www.beaverfallspennsylvania.com/local/events.html

Aug 9

New Castle Playhouse
7:00 P.M. Advance Ticket Sale Only.
Tickets $10.00 (724) 654-3437
Free Hotdogs & Pop After the Show Outside — With More Music.
http://www.newcastleplayhouse.org/

 

Aug 17

Bethel Park Community Center
Tower Concerts, Bethel Park, PA
2:30 P.M. FREE
(412) 833-6110

Sept. 6

Oakdale Summer Concert
Oakdale Borough Parking Lot Oakdale, PA
7 P.M. FREE (724) 693-9740
www.oakdaleborough.com

Sep 28

Mt. Pleasant Glass & Ethnic Festival
Mt. Pleasant, PA
1:30 P.M. FREE
All Day Entertainment
(724) 547-6745
www.mtpleasantglassandethnicfestival.com

Nov 9

Teutonia Männerchor Schlachtfest
North Side, Pittsburgh
Admission for German Club Members Only
3 P.M. -- 7 P.M.
(412) 231-9141

 

The Pittsburgh Banjo Club appears every Wednesday 8-11 p.m., Elks Lodge #399, 400 Cedar Avenue. Pittsburgh PA (North Side). Open to the Public. FREE. Open rehearsal and sing-along. No cover charge. Hot Food, Snacks and Beverages available. For more information and/or reservations, call 412-321-1834

Pittsburgh Banjo Club recordings, “Live at James Street, Vol. I” and “ Live at James Street, Vol. II” CD, $15.00 ea. Two for $25.00. Mail orders, please add $2.00 for postage and handling. Joe Benec, 128 Cambridge Ct., Harwick, PA 15049.

Rehearsal Location

Wednesdays 8 -11pm

Elks Lodge #339 400 Cedar Avenue Pittsburgh PA 15212 412-321-1834

Open To The Public

The Elks Lodge is located on the corner of Cedar & Pressley Streets. Sunoco Gas Station and Giant Eagle Super Market on that corner also.

Map This Location

Directions:

From I-279 Northbound: Exit East Ohio Street. Left on East Ohio Street to Cedar Avenue. Left On Cedar Avenue to Elks Lodge on left side at corner of Cedar & Pressley.

From I-279 Southbound: Exit East Street, right on North Street to Cedar Avenue. Left on Cedar to Elks Lodge on Left.

Parking is available on Cedar Avenue, Pressley Street and in the far rear end of the Giant Eagle Parking Lot near the gas station. Entrance to the Giant Eagle parking lot is on Cedar Avenue next to the Gas Station and on Pressley Street in front of the store.

Details:

The Elks, although a private club, is open to the public for our rehearsals. It has a big bar, big room, air conditioning , lighting and sound. Located on the first floor of the building, there are only a few steps leading up to the front door.

THE PITTSBURGH BANJO CLUB
P. O. BOX 101025
PITTSBURGH, PA 15237

http://www.thepittsburghbanjoclub.com

pittsburghbanjoclub@earthlink.net

Banjo Links

  4 String Banjo Links Page

  FIGA - Fretted Instrument Guild of America

  Jazz Banjo Magazine

  National 4 String Banjo Hall of Fame Museum

 Jim Coston - Tenor Banjoist