Pittsburgh is changing. The streets are filled with self driving cars. Startups have filled East Liberty. But one thing remains the same – Route 28 is still under construction.
For four years Jekko has covered over 2,400 events ad-free. Our goal is to preserve those fleeting moments. Here are our best Pittsburgh Photos from of 2017.
Fall on Washington’s Landing
Bridges transport you to new worlds and allow for a view you haven’t seen before. I bike all over the city and the 31st Street Bridge is one of my favorites. It is the gateway between the Strip District, Troy Hill, Millvale and Northside. The view is underrated but near and dear to our hearts.
Randy and Mac Share a Smile
City of Asylum opened up their new venue, Alphabet City, to a screening of Pursuing Happiness. Two documentary film makers searched for the happiest people in America. Guess who they found? Randy Gilson and Mac McDermott, founders of Randyland. Despite Mac’s recent diagnosis with cancer, they still watch movies together with a smile after 23 years.
Golden Hour from Troy Hill
How do you visualize Pittsburgh? To me, it’s always been a golden sunset bouncing from bridge to bridge that ties two parts of the city together like a well sewn quilt. Much like the bridges, this photo took time. The setup was around a week waiting for the perfect conditions and capturing the River Life.
Sidney Crosby Carries The Stanley Cup – Penguins Parade
The Pittsburgh Penguins won The Stanley Cup for the second year in a row. Everyone was nervous that it would rain the day of the parade, but as luck would have it the clouds opened up and hundreds of thousands enjoyed perfect weather to see Lord Stanley march down Grant and Blvd of the Allies.
Car on a Bonfire
Every summer Polish Hill punks make the pilgrimage to Bowl Bash music festival at Skatopia in Rutland, Ohio. The eighty-eight acre skate park in the middle of nowhere is known for lawlessness. Dozens of bands play to the backdrop of sputtering engines trying to rough their way through a demolition derby. The festival ends with a bonfire at midnight; a bonfire that contains the husks of the cars that didn’t make it. A few punks hitch hike home in the morning.
Huang Xiang Performs Poetry at the Alphabet City
Huang Xiang was City of Asylum’s first writer at Sampsonia Way back in 2004. Thirteen years later he performs an evening of poetry with jazz backdrop at the City of Asylum’s new expansion – Alphabet City.
Black and Yellow at Randyland
Randyland draws in colorful characters from around the world. Kamille Abracosa wore Pittsburgh black and yellow on her first visit to Randyland.
Pittsburgh, Paris, You too.
President Trump said he represented the people of “Pittsburgh, not Paris“, and Mayor Bill Peduto shot back, “We’re with Paris.” A few months later, the Heinz Endowments would help The Climate Reality Project to Pittsburgh where Al Gore and Bill Peduto would shake hands and continue work on the environment.
Solar Eclipse was Something Out of Science Fiction
Tom Souzer patrols the streets finding captivating moments. His camera is an extension in how he sees the world. He covered the 2017 Solar Eclipse for Jekko showing how it looked like something out of 80’s movie “They Live”.
Corningworks Performs Samuel Beckett’s Come and Go
Corningworks stunning visuals makes our list for the third year in a row. I know. A live performance in today’s digital age? Trust me. Beth Corning’s small dance outlet out maneuvers the larger companies in town. The lighting compliments the design and the design the lighting. Her next performance only seats 20, grab your tickets now.
Phat Man Dee and the Sister of Perpetual Indulgence
Phat Man Dee was one of the last jazz acts to sing at the James Street Gastropub. The event raised funds for Proud Haven, a non profit the helps homeless LGBTQIA+. In an impromptu moment, a Sister of Perpetual Indulgence shared the stage for one last epic photo at the venue.
Dawn the Third Day. Every Summer Music Festival Ends
Seasons change and years roll on. An unnamed woman looks from an empty stage at the end of the Bowl Bash Music Festival. Time is a circle. All things will come again. Let’s be in the present, even if it is freezing right now.
What to Expect in 2018
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Jekko has grown in four years. I want to thank you for reading, whether it’s this article or for all four years. I have personally attended over 2,500 events in that time getting to meet so many of you. Jekko now has a full-time team and we’re polishing the long-format articles we build over the last year.
If you’re hosting an event, are a tech startup with a new product, or know someone down the street with and interesting story contact me – editor@jekko.com
Let’s have a great 2018!