March 5th: The Relics to Hold Benefit for SHUC at Squirrel Hill Sports Bar

On Saturday, March 5th, local musical group The Relics will hold a benefit for the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition (SHUC). Hosted by the Squirrel Hill Sports Bar (5832 Forward Ave), the night consists of three acts- eclectic tuba player Roger Day opens for The Relics and up-and-coming rock group Memphis Hill closes the night. The $5 cover, which allows you to see all three amazing shows, will be donated to SHUC to support their community wide efforts to preserve, improve, and celebrate life in the 14th ward!

The Relics specialize in what they call “Boomer Blues & rock and roll’. These include oldies from the 50’s and 60’s as well as blues, jazz, and rock and roll.

“Probably the thing we do best is blues; harmonica oriented blues,” explained guitarist Jeff Ritter. “A lot of that music is from the 30’s and 40’s or older. We`re gonna try not to be a radio oldies band playing the stuff you’ve already heard a million times on the radio, we don’t really want to do that.”

While the six member band usually just jams in vocalist and drummer Tod Treganowan’s basement as a hobby, they decided to get out and play live. Ritter, a former member of The Beagle Brothers, sought out a place that would host them. As most of the members are Pittsburgh or Squirrel Hill natives, the Squirrel Hill Sports Bar felt like a natural choice. As was making their first live show a benefit event.

“For boomers, [music] is a real significant part of our lives,” explained Ritter. ‘I think it is still for young people but it’s a different era. When you turned on the radio in 1965/66, you heard the Beatles, the Doors, Jefferson Airplane, and Frank Sinatra. On the same same station! It was different world.”

Band members include:

Tod Treganowan on drums and vocals (A systems analyst University of Pittsburgh)

Jeff Ritter on Guitar and Vocals (Professor and Department Chair of Communications at La Roche)

Joe Waterkotte on bass (A construction manager in the film industry)

Richard Scheines on guitar (Professor; Dean, Dietrich College of Humanities & Social Sciences at CMU)

Ralph Vituccio on harmonica and vocals (Assistant Teaching Professor at CMU in the Entertainment Technology Center)

Seth Glickman on keyboards (Student at CMU’s Entertainment Technology Center)

We hope to see you there!