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Ready to rock the houseJoe Grushecky to perform Saturday at the Aquatorium in Monongahela.By KRISTIE LINDENklinden @yourmvi. comJoe Grushecky has a long history with the Monongahela River — and the Aquatorium.He went to California University of Pennsylvania, which he affectionately calls “Harvard on the Mon” and played a show at the Aquatorium while he was in college. He returns to the venue at 7:30 p.m. Saturday as part of the “Rockin’ on the Mon” concert series.A friend recently sent him a promotional poster from that college gig, which featured ticket prices ranging from $1 to $3. At the time, his band was called “Shooo.”“We go back aways with the Aquatorium,” Grushecky said with a laugh.The first time he played a show at the venue as an adult, it jogged his memory that he had been there before.“We’re just real connected to the (Mon Valiey),” he said. “I played the bars there, the community VFWs for years and we’re just really connected to the area. It’s part of who we are.”The Houserockers, co-founded with bassist and fellow Cal U classmate Art Nardini, play straightforward rock and roll.“We have a direct bond to the early days of rock and roll, up to the present,” Grushecky said. “We’re very respectful of the artists who came before us. We’re trying to move the bar forward a little. We’ve been around a long time and we’re very passionate about what we do.”Grushecky and Nardini founded theSubmittedJoe Grushecky will perform Saturday in Monongahela.Iron City Houserockers, which produced its first record in 1979. The group broke up for a few years in the 1980s, but reformed as the Houserockers by 1987.“It’s basically been our band since the beginning,” Grushecky said. “Pretty much straight through since the 1970s we’ve played together in one form or another.”Grushecky and the Houserockers are one of the longer-lasting, most well-known bands in Western Pennsylvania. He said Pittsburgh is much more a sports town than a music town, so to generate the kind of loyalty and longevity the band enjoys is no small feat.“We don’t take it for granted, that’s for sure. We like to give back to the community,” Grushecky said. “We’ve done a lot of charity work over the years.”At the Aquatorium this weekend, there will be two new albums for fans to check out. The first is an acoustic offering titled “It’s in my Song,” which is Grushecky’s first attempt at an acoustic album.The band is also releasing “American Babylon Live,” which was recorded at the Stone Pony in New Jersey to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the “American Babylon” album, which was produced by Grushecky’s longtime friend, Bruce Springsteen.“(American Babylon) brought us back from the dead,” Grushecky said of the original album. “It was a game changer for us.”Grushecky often performs with Springsteen when he comes to the Pittsburgh area and sometimes Springsteen performs with the Houserockers when they are in New Jersey. Springsteen has also joined Grushecky in performances at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum in Pittsburgh.“He’s one of my closest friends,” Grushecky said. “It’s always great to see him. He’s a really great guy and any time I get a chance to hang out with him, it’s a great time.“He’s one of the greatest rock-and-rollers of all time.”For more information, visit www. grushecky.com.If you’re going:Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Noble J. Dick Aquatorium in Monongahela. Gates will open at 6 p.m. and the cost is $ 10 per person.Hogfather’s BBQ will sell refreshments, along with other vendors.
Newspaper Details
The Mon Valley Independent
Monessen, Pennsylvania, US
Thu, Aug 04, 2016
Page 9
Full Page
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Carnegie L.
Pennsylvania, USA 26 Apr 2025
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