Highland Park Jazz Series

posted July 16, 2014 4:05 PM | |

Sun August 3 at 5:00 PM, Highland Park Reservoir

Highland Park Reservoir, Pittsburgh, PA, USA (Map & Directions)

I'd be tentatively interested. The first two dates are of most interest to me, but the 17th is the only one I definitely can't do.
posted by Stacey at 5:00 AM on July 17, 2014

This sounds neat!! I think any of those work for me.
posted by amicamentis at 7:26 AM on July 17, 2014

Not super into jazz, but burghfite-curious...



(as an alternative/companion proposal, I'll likely be at most or all of the WYEP final-friday shows and a substantial number of Bikefest events, if anyone wants to meet up at one of those. And I'm always down for giant jenga at weather permitting....)
posted by FlyingMonkey at 2:42 PM on July 17, 2014

Huzzah for a burghfite meetup! :)

These all sound good to me, esp. the 10th or 24th. My transportation funds are currently limited until New and Improved Employment happens (workin' on it), but I could definitely make it to one of them.
posted by cardinality at 6:01 PM on July 17, 2014

Sounds like a great idea! Pretty sure nakedmolerats and I will be around all of those weekends, with the possible exception of the 24th.
posted by DingoMutt at 7:13 PM on July 17, 2014

Yay! We would be much more likely to attend later in the month - I can say that the first two weekends are already booked with annoying adult things like eye appointments.

But like FlyingMonkey said - barring one of these dates working, I'd be down with another thing. Even if it was just something like a kooky potluck in a park somewhere.
posted by librarianamy at 4:52 AM on July 18, 2014

Oh, interest, fantastic! Like Stacey, I'm more into the first two performances in the line-up.

A couple of other ideas I had for a meet-up were the "Life Itself" Ebert documentary (opens at the Regent Square Theater this weekend; I'm catching one of the afternoon showings tomorrow, but that seemed like really short notice) and taking the distillery tour at Wigle Whiskey (only, that seems like more of a fall outing -- as there are weather warnings right on the site, at the bottom of that link). Lastly, Bloomfield's "Little Italy Days" are next month, from Aug. 21 (Louis Prima Jr.?!) through Aug. 23... and now I see that page has a link to some "Strip District World Festival" happening in mid-September.

And I like librarianamy's potluck idea... basically, I could eat. Stepping away for dinner now.
posted by Iris Gambol at 3:15 PM on July 18, 2014 [2 favorites]

We (Darthduckie) and I might be up for this. We won't be around for the first couple of concert though so it would have to be one of the later ones.
posted by octothorpe at 6:04 PM on July 19, 2014

Kinda belated, but I'd be 100% down for kooky potluck. Possibly less with the jazz, as my eleven year old sidekick would possibly not approve, and if she doesn't approve, I don't get to go.

(Hopefully this comment will bump to the top of people's recent activity, and further discussion can happen?)
posted by MeghanC at 12:19 PM on July 21, 2014 [1 favorite]

Meghan, your sidekick would be totally welcome to hang out at my house just down the hill from the jazz, where she could play with my cats or read my books or plunder my movie collection or whatever for the duration, if that would help you two reach a compromise on whether you're allowed to come out and play with the grownups. I'm sure my partner could be persuaded to either hang out at the house with her, or to come to jazz and let her have the run of the place, whichever would be more comfortable for her. Drop me a line if you want to try to figure something out.

(Everyone else, that is not as creepy as it sounds. I have met Meghan and her charming sidekick before! I'm not just like "Hi, I am a random stranger, please deposit your child at my house for the evening. It will be totally fine and normal and not creepy.")

That aside, someone pick a date for jazz! It sounds like maybe later in the month is better for more people, which I can make work.

I'm tentatively down for potluck too, but maybe that's a separate IRL thread in case we can pull in more people who already tuned out of this one for not liking jazz or not liking Sundays or whatever? My partner does a killer deviled egg and I make a mean brownie.
posted by Stacey at 12:34 PM on July 21, 2014 [2 favorites]

What's the consensus on calling jazz twice? The kickoff on August 3rd, for the early-in-the-month interested parties, and the last hurrah on Aug. 31st for the already-booked-up folks?
posted by Iris Gambol at 1:35 PM on July 21, 2014

Can I throw in for the 24th instead of the 31st, as our quasi last hurrah? Not to make it all about me, but I'm looking forward to a three day Labor Day weekend of not leaving the couch, maybe marathoning something mindless & pretty on Netflix. :)

But yeah Iris Gambol - I say "make it official - TWICE" and we'll make it happen.

(Going back to the potluck thought - are we serious? Serious enough for me to investigate park shelters? It looks like we could get one in a county park for $30. I'd totally coordinate if we thought it was worth it. Are the county parks accessible to those who public transit?)
posted by librarianamy at 5:12 AM on July 22, 2014 [1 favorite]

Do you have a park in mind? I would be happy to investigate the public transit possibilities, since that is most likely how I'd be making my way there.
posted by Stacey at 6:10 AM on July 22, 2014

The county parks include Boyce (out near Monroeville?) and both North and South Park. I really don't have any one park in mind, and would lean towards whatever one people could get to easily. City parks, fwiw, look to be between $75 and $150 for a shelter, versus the $30 for the county ones.

Other parks include Deer Lakes, Harrison Hills, Round Hill, Settlers Cabin & White Oak. And Hartwood Acres, but their facilities seem shockingly wedding-centric.
posted by librarianamy at 6:40 AM on July 22, 2014

Thanks! I'll do a little poking around between meetings later to see what the transit accessibility might be like for the first three you mentioned, unless anyone else already knows offhand.
posted by Stacey at 6:46 AM on July 22, 2014

librarianamy, thanks for the head's-up about Labor Day weekend, I'd forgotten! (Side note: there should be a show called 'mindless & pretty', I'd have it on like it's the Yule Log.) Okay, editing post to reflect Aug. 3 and Aug. 24, and opening new post to discuss possible potluck details.
posted by Iris Gambol at 7:38 AM on July 22, 2014

Transit info for the parks, for whoever starts the new thread...

North Park and South Park don't look totally easily transit-able. It seems like the closest you can get is a couple of miles away, so you'd have to be prepared to walk a bit after potentially a pretty long bus ride. (For me, it looks about 2.5 hours each way, but might be much more convenient for others.)

Boyce Park looks somewhat transit-able. There are at least a couple of buses that go out that way and claim to drop one about half a mile from the park. Of course I imagine it's a big park and depends where people want to meet, and I don't know how walkable that half mile is, but it seems at least plausible one could get there by bus.

Someone who's actually made the trip to the parks might have better info on the best way to do it, though - I'm just running off a Google Transit search or three.
posted by Stacey at 2:51 PM on July 22, 2014

There's a shelter at South Park that's about a mile from South Park Ave T station, but that might be the best you could do.

The 67 and especially 77 get close-ish to Boyce, but I don't know if either runs on the weekend.
posted by FlyingMonkey at 3:44 PM on July 22, 2014

So glad this is on! Any thoughts on where/how we ought to find each other? Meet up by the fountain? Stake out that big wooden playground? Make a noise like a plate of beans?
posted by DingoMutt at 7:34 PM on July 22, 2014 [1 favorite]

DingoMutt, I'm definitely in for the 3rd -- I thought I'd get there between four and four-fifteen with a big blanket to stake out a prime spot (don't really know how how much of a swarm to expect for this concert), and maybe tie balloons to the handle of my backpack as a landmark? I think the rallying cry for a mefite meet-up is "Matt-How-Whee! Matt-How-Whee!" -- like whippoorwills, but happier.
posted by Iris Gambol at 7:42 PM on July 22, 2014 [4 favorites]

Moved myself into the "attending" section (while keeping an eye on the weather forecast -- right now, p.m. thunderstorms are predicted for this Sunday). If anyone could use a lift, I've got three empty seats in my car.
posted by Iris Gambol at 8:18 AM on July 30, 2014

I am still planning to attend if weather is tolerable. I'll just be walking from my house, no ride needed.

I make no promises, but am considering bringing some form of baked goods for concert snacking. The weather has me in a baking mood, plus I believe in winning friends with brownies. Vegans, vegetarians, folks with food allergies, now's your chance to tell me what restrictions I'm working with to make something tasty for you. And please don't hesitate to do so - my vegan baking is not as tasty as my non-vegan baking yet, but I'm always happy to have a chance to practice it.
posted by Stacey at 9:28 AM on July 30, 2014

...and our roof has just sprung several new leaks and the basement's flooding. Sorry, all, but even if the rain lets up and the concert goes on, I think tonight will be all house cleanup and repair work here. Will hope to make another meetup someday.
posted by Stacey at 8:13 AM on August 3, 2014

Stacey, so sorry to hear that! Memail me if you're interested in the concert on the 10th.
Everyone else -- I'm about 15 minutes away, and the balloons are yellow.
posted by Iris Gambol at 1:08 PM on August 3, 2014

Sitting on the park benches across from the stage near the Community Council tent. Ballooons have lost their oomph.
posted by Iris Gambol at 1:52 PM on August 3, 2014

Man, we were looking at the rain earlier this afternoon and figured the event was going to be washed out, and so now of COURSE it's beautiful and sunny, and we're elbow-deep in house cleaning ... lame! Hope the concert is a fun one - we'll be sure to make the next one!
posted by DingoMutt at 3:02 PM on August 3, 2014

Good music, and there's a new sponsor this year and they're selling CREPES.
posted by Iris Gambol at 3:15 PM on August 3, 2014