Pittsburg, PA
They liked it, they loved it, Tim McGraw fans got some more of it in Pittsburgh
BC Taylor, son of Aliquippa rocker B.E. Taylor, drummed for his girlfriend, award-winning country singer Carly Pearce.
Tim McGraw’s funny response to hearing Taylor Swift’s ‘Tim McGraw’
Tim McGraw chats with USA TODAY’s Melissa Ruggieri about his upcoming tour for the album “Standing Room Only” and seeing Taylor Swift live.
Entertain This!, USA TODAY
PITTSBURGH ― To describe a Tim McGraw concert, you invariably must use the word “solid.”
That’s precisely how McGraw sounded, looked and entertained Saturday at PPG Paints Arena.
Nothing out of the ordinary happened, and that was utterly fine.
From the rugged show launcher “Truck Yeah” to the crowd-swaying-along encore finisher “Live Like You Were Dying,” McGraw dependably delivered a straightforward, engaging 90-minute set as tight as his blue jeans.
His band rocked out without getting showy, forging a six-man, front-stage line of guitarists and a bass guitarist for “Southern Voice,” as the three-side jumbo video screen showed Southern icons like Bear Bryant, Rosa Parks and Jerry Lee Lewis.
That video screen gave ample closeups of the oft-smiling McGraw, who regularly worked a catwalk that jutted 13 rows into the crowd. That’s where he did a few slow spins with arms outstretched like airplane wings, before slapping high-fives and shaking hands with fans during “All I Want is a Life.”
McGraw’s voice sounded strong, reaching the requisite high notes on his cover of Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer.”
Sweet, soulful fiddle emerged for “Just to See You Smile,” which McGraw prefaced with the reminder he doesn’t chatter much during shows, joking he’s accustomed to his family − wife/country superstar Faith Hill and their three daughters − not giving him much space to talk.
Video clip footage of McGraw and Hill appeared on the video screen for the love song “One Bad Habit.” That looked like Hill again, in a more abstract visual, for the next song, the somewhat Yacht Rock-ish “Watch The Wind Blow By.”
The mixed-age crowd − enthusiastic and from what I saw well-behaved − wiggled and grooved for “Something Like That” and sang alone for the final chorus of “Where The Green Grass Grows,” which McGraw finished with a baseball hitters’ stance then an imaginary swing for the fences.
McGraw gave a hometown shoutout to band member Billy Noble, a Carnegie Mellon University grad, for his fine keyboard work on 2023’s”Standing Room Only,” from which this tour draws its name.
Red lights illuminated and intensified the setting for the lyrically dark “Red Ragtop,” which built to a moment where fans waved their uplifted arms in unison. The start of that song, when the lighting was still dark, was a lone moment where McGraw removed his cowboy hat, for just a second, maybe to wipe some sweat.
Taylor Swift showed up for the pulsating “Highway Don’t Care,” beamed on the video screen in music video fashion and earning a post-song cheer when McGraw mentioned her.
It was party time, with soothing fiddle, screaming guitar and pounding, crashing drums as McGraw and his band tore into “I Like It, I Love It.” He subtly changed the Atlanta Braves reference to Pittsburgh Steelers, an acceptable audible in a country show refreshingly low on pandering.
“Felt Good on My Lips” flat-out rocked.
Then five guitar- and bass-wielding bandmates, including McGraw, again formed a loose line to grind out the sturdy “Real Good Man.”
A masterfully crafted setlist brought the crowd-pleasing encore of “The Cowboy in Me” and “Humble and Kind,” with McGraw standing in wisps of dry ice smoke and letting the crowd repeat the final philosophical outro a cappella.
The uplifting “Live Like You Were Dying,” in all its skydiving, Rocky Mountain climbing, Fu Manchu bull-riding glory, ended the show − you guessed it − solidly.
McGraw’s main support, award-winning country star Carly Pearce, did a good job warming the audience.
Commanding the stage in red stiletto boots, matching her above-the-knees red dress, Pearce demonstrated a skillful ability to emotionally “sell” a song.
From the done-me-wrong-but-I’ll-triumph “What He Didn’t Do,” to the devil-may-care attitude of Faith Hill’s “Let’s Go to Vegas,” Pearce was convincing. She apologized for a slightly raspy speaking voice earned two nights earlier when she stood next to the real-life Hill singing along with McGraw songs at a Nashville concert. That rasp added moxie to new song “Truck on Fire,” with its “liar, liar truck’s on fire” vow to ignite the vehicle of a cheating beau.
In real life, Pearce looks to be quite happy with her boyfriend and band drummer BC Taylor, son of beloved Aliquippa rocker B.E. Taylor.
Befitting the night, BC Taylor supplied solid beats that added to Pearce’s enjoyable dozen-song set.
Scott Tady is Times Entertainment Editor and easy to reach at stady@gannett.com.
Pittsburg, PA
Sidney Crosby leaves Penguins-Senators game, will not return
Sidney Crosby left the Pittsburgh Penguins’ game against the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday and did not return.
The team initially did not disclose why Crosby was ruled out of the game, but coach Dan Muse told reporters postgame that Crosby has a lower-body injury. Crosby left the ice and went to the locker room early in the second period. The Penguins went on to beat the Senators in a shootout, 4-3.
Pittsburgh also played Thursday’s game without Evgeni Malkin, who has missed the last two games with an upper-body injury. It remains unclear how long he will be out, with the team only saying Malkin is “day-to-day,” according to a post on X from March 24.
Crosby returned to Pittsburgh’s lineup on March 18 against the Carolina Hurricanes after missing four weeks due to a lower-body injury suffered during the Olympic tournament. Crosby was injured during Team Canada’s quarterfinal win over Team Czechia after a hit by Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas.
Crosby was placed on injured reserve and missed 11 games. In the five games since returning to the lineup, Crosby has tallied five points. This season, the 38-year-old star for the Penguins has a team-high 28 goals, and he is third on the team with 36 assists.
With 10 games remaining in the regular season, Pittsburgh (36-20-16) sits in second place in the Eastern Conference’s Metropolitan Division with 88 points. The Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Islanders both have 87 points.
Pittsburg, PA
$1.5 million-winning Pennsylvania Lottery ticket sold at Pittsburgh hospital
A Pittsburgh hospital will be getting a big bonus for selling a $1.5 million-winning Pennsylvania Lottery scratch-off ticket.
UPMC Magee-Women’s Hospital sold the Cash Spectacular ticket, and, as a result, will get a $10,000 bonus.
According to the Pennsylvania Lottery, the Cash Spectacular is a $30 game that offers the top prize of $1.5 million.
As they often do when a big winner such as this one happens, the Pennsylvania Lottery is reminding players that scratch-off prizes are valid for one year from the game’s end-sale date, which can be found on their website.
The Pennsylvania Lottery also said that scratch-offs are distributed at random, so neither the lottery nor the retailers know where winning tickets will be sold.
Pittsburgh area million-dollar winners
Since the calendar flipped to 2026, the Pittsburgh area has been one lucky place, with multiple million-dollar or more winning tickets sold since January.
The first came on January 8 when a $1 million scratch-off was sold at a North Huntingdon Township Walmart. The $20 Jackpot Scratch-Off yielded the top prize of $1 million.
Just a week later, again in Westmoreland County, a Match 6 Lotto ticket was sold at the North Huntingdon Sheetz, giving someone a $1.4 million prize.
One of the biggest jackpots of the year came earlier this month in Armstrong County, when one lucky player won $1 million for year for life.
That ticket was sold at a BP gas station on Buffalo Street in Freeport Borough. As a result, the BP got a $100,000 bonus.
Pittsburg, PA
Flyers about
Days after kids got into a major brawl in Downtown Pittsburgh, some school leaders are reacting, trying to get ahead of more potential activity this weekend.
Pittsburgh Public Schools left a voice message for families Tuesday night, informing them about a flyer circulating on social media of a “downtown takeover” on Friday.
“This event is not sanctioned, not supervised, and poses a serious safety concern for our students. We urge all families to discourage their children from attending,” part of Pittsburgh Public Schools’ message said.
The location is unclear, but it’s scheduled for less than one week after a large brawl at Market Square, a place Pittsburgh Public Safety said has become a hub for kids and teens to gather, and where a fight early Sunday evening resulted in seven minors cited for disorderly conduct, and around 20 treated for exposure to pepper spray.
Jen Grippo, owner of Original Oyster House, said they were closed at the time. However, Grippo said they remain in close contact with their neighboring businesses about any activity.
“It was certainly disappointing,” Grippo said.
Grippo said she and Kathy Marsico, the operations manager at Nicholas Coffee and Tea Co., were already aware of the potential event on Friday.
“It’s a crazy world right now,” Marsico said. “It’s a cultural, social, kind of environment where the kids are very, you know, just attracted to that type of behavior.”
Marsico said police are urging all shops that don’t have cameras to put them up and to provide them with access to assist in these situations. She also said they work with an outreach team called AIM.
“They’re trying to make sure that the kids act responsibly and don’t take part in those types of events,” Marsico said.
Between these efforts and the PPS voicemail, businesses are encouraged by the proactive measures, but do feel more long-term solutions are needed, something the Pittsburgh Public Safety director said is in the works, as police confirmed to KDKA they’re monitoring the potential gathering that’s days away.
“We just want to make sure that even if the kids do come Downtown, you’re being safe, you’re being respectful, and you’re not going to cause a ruckus,” Grippo said.
-
Detroit, MI1 week agoDrummer Brian Pastoria, longtime Detroit music advocate, dies at 68
-
Science1 week agoHow a Melting Glacier in Antarctica Could Affect Tens of Millions Around the Globe
-
Movie Reviews1 week ago‘Youth’ Twitter review: Ken Karunaas impresses audiences; Suraj Venjaramoodu adds charm; music wins praise | – The Times of India
-
Science1 week agoI had to man up and get a mammogram
-
Sports6 days agoIOC addresses execution of 19-year-old Iranian wrestler Saleh Mohammadi
-
New Mexico5 days agoClovis shooting leaves one dead, four injured
-
Business1 week agoDisney’s new CEO says his focus is on storytelling and creativity
-
Texas1 week agoHow to buy Houston vs. Texas A&M 2026 March Madness tickets