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They liked it, they loved it, Tim McGraw fans got some more of it in Pittsburgh

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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.

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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.

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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.”

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Scott Tady is Times Entertainment Editor and easy to reach at stady@gannett.com.



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Performers play on with enthusiasm despite a damp Pittonkatonk – Pittsburgh Union Progress

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Performers play on with enthusiasm despite a damp Pittonkatonk – Pittsburgh Union Progress


One of the stated goals of Pittonkatonk is to break the barrier between performer and audience. And that’s what happened Saturday when a break in the rain allowed the performers to lead the audience on a short parade from inside the Vietnam Veterans Pavilion in Oakland’s Schenley Park out into the burgeoning sunshine.

There would be more rain later in the day, but that didn’t faze the performers, the organizers or the audience members at Pittonkatonk, the annual May Day community festival at Schenley Park. This year’s edition, the 11th, attracted performers from Africa, South America, Europe, the Middle East, Puerto Rico and, of course, Pittsburgh. 

Learn more at https://pittonkatonk.org.

Yamoussa Camara, of Pittsburgh’s Balafon West African Dance Ensemble, helps drive the dancers outside Schenley Park’s Vietnam Veterans Pavilion during Pittonkatonk Saturday, May 11, 2024. (Michael Pound/Pittsburgh Union Progress)
Col. Eagleburger’s High Stepping Good Time Band of Pittsburgh started the Pittonkatonk party inside the Vietnam Veterans Pavilion in Schenley Park Saturday, May 11, 2024. (Michael Pound/Pittsburgh Union Progress)
Nicole Sinwell, left, helps bring the thunder with Pittsburgh’s Timbeleza inside Schenley Park’s Vietnam Veterans Pavilion during Pittonkatonk Saturday, May 11, 2024. (Michael Pound/Pittsburgh Union Progress)
When the rain let up, Pittsburgh’s Timbeleza led the crowd outside Schenley Park’s Vietnam Veterans Pavilion during Pittonkatonk Saturday, May 11, 2024. (Michael Pound/Pittsburgh Union Progress)
Jamie Moore dances and plays with Pittsburgh’s Timbeleza outside Schenley Park’s Vietnam Veterans Pavilion during Pittonkatonk Saturday, May 11, 2024. (Michael Pound/Pittsburgh Union Progress)
A Pittonkatonk sign hangs from the Vietnam Veterans Pavilion in Schenley Park Saturday, May 11, 2024. (Michael Pound/Pittsburgh Union Progress)



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Zach Frazier explains wearing No. 54 with Pittsburgh Steelers

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Zach Frazier explains wearing No. 54 with Pittsburgh Steelers


Zach Frazier can’t help his toughness. It’s embedded in his soul. The Steelers rookie loved Pittsburgh’s physical style of play when he was growing up in West Virginia. Plus, he always wears the number 54 in honor of another player known for his tenacity.

But yikes. The Steelers newest offensive lineman wears his number because of a Dallas Cowboy. He explained that his parents were big fans of the Miami Dolphins. And they loved long-time Dolphins linebacker Zach Thomas. He’s the Texas Tech star who finished his career back home in Texas with the Cowboys. Last August, former Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson presented Thomas for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The number, Frazier told the Steelers web site has “always been special to me.”

Go figure. Zach Frazier, the Steelers second-round draft pick, wears No. 54 because his parents loved Zach Thomas, a former Dallas Cowboy, who also starred for the Dolphins. (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)

Pittsburgh selected Frazier with the 51st pick of the second round of the NFL Draft last month. The former West Virginia Mountaineer probably is everything a coach wants from an offensive lineman. He’s talented, as evidenced by his All-America accolades. And he’s smart. Frazier also was an academic All-American with a 3.88 GPA while majoring in sports management.

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Plus, he’s also athletic. Frazier excelled in both football and wrestling in high school back home in Fairmont, WV. In fact, he was a four-time state champion in wrestling.

“You know, you go straight from football season, to wrestling season, to baseball,” Frazier said. “It was just a fun time to be a kid and play all these sports and really have a good time.”

The Steelers wanted to draft a center in the first round with the 20th pick. Instead, they opted for Washington offensive tackle Troy Fautanu, who Pittsburgh coaches didn’t expect to be available that late in the first round. Perhaps they found their future long-time starter with pick No. 51.

And speaking of the draft, Frazier’s time with the Steelers got off to a bad start. Literally. When Mike Tomlin called Frazier to welcome the center to the team, Frazier said he knew, immediately, it was Pittsburgh on the phone. He recognized the area code.

However, once he answered “I could hear them, they couldn’t hear me, so I ran upstairs,” he said.

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But since then, he’s been studying the playbook. He might’ve landed in the most perfect place for his talents. Marc Ross, an analyst for NFL.com, recently listed the rookies who ended up in the best spot. Ross described Frazier as a “brawler who embodies everything this franchise is about. His experience and toughness will allow him to step in immediately as the pivot of an overhauled unit with a new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.”



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Residents surveying damage after Saturday’s intense storms

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Residents surveying damage after Saturday’s intense storms


Residents surveying damage after Saturday’s intense storms – CBS Pittsburgh

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The National Weather Service says a tornado touched down near Finleyville around 6 p.m. Saturday. Crews will be out on Sunday to assess the damage and intensity. KDKA-TV’s Meghan Schiller reports.

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