Thrival Combines Innovation and Music in Pittsburgh

With its blue-collar industry past, Pittsburgh now reinvents itself as a rising technology hub and do-it-yourself, entrepreneurial boomtown. New and creative ideas breathe throughout the city and a welcoming market support the enterprising spirit.

Three years ago, Thrival Innovation + Music Festival was one of the new and creative ideas in town. The forum provokes thought and the arts due to "innovation-focused programs punctuated by a weekend concert featuring some of the best emerging national music acts and top-tier headliners." The event also seeks to "introduce Pittsburgh as the world leader in post-industrial economic development."

Thrival, part of the Thrill Mill, Inc. nonprofit group, is attractive because it serves as an "incubator and accelerator for early-stage entrepreneurs," while providing a contemporary music outlet. Many people flock to the event, 2,000 showed the first year, 7,000 the second year, and 10,000 people attended in 2015.

Looking for continuous growth in 2016, Thrival is set to put on a bigger production than ever before. The Innovation portion will feature three days each with a separate theme. There will be four keynote speakers, more than 30 programs, and more than 50 total speakers. For example, Dr. Bennett Omalu, the man who discovered "CTE" and its link to professional football during his work in Pittsburgh, and Eugene Robinson, a journalist and Washington Post contributor, will give keynote talks. Programs hit on subjects like the rise of podcasts, food culture, and "How to Build a Music Town."

Innovative interactions will run Tuesday, September 20 through Thursday, Septemeber 22 at places like Alloy 26 Auditorium and New Hazlett Theatre on the North Side of Pittsburgh. After, Thrival's weekend music festival kicks off on Friday, Septemeber 23 to Saturday, Septemeber 24. Headliners include electronic act The Chainsmokers, DJ and producer Hudson Mohawke, hip-hop specialist Ty Dolla $ign, and more. The concert site pays homage to Pittsburgh's old industry ways as Carrie Furnaces, a former steel plant in the Swissvale and Rankin, Pa. neighborhood, will host two stages for musical performances.

In an effort to promote Thrival's musical event, Pittsburgh-based, cultural publication Jenesis Magazine produced several 10-minute music mixes by local DJs. Artists like Christo and DJ Topgun sample some sounds attendees will hear next weekend. Listen to all of the mixes here and go to Boom Concepts tonight from 7-10 p.m. to hear the mixes played live.

For more Thrival information, tickets, and venue locations go here.

Carrie Furnaces

623 E. Eighth Avenue

Homestead, PA 15210

Boom Concepts

5139 Penn Avenue

Pittsburgh, PA 15224

ENERGY

farESH Brand at Energy part of Style Week Pittsburgh courtesy of Xavier Thomas a.k.a. ArtLikeUs

When people foreign to Pittsburgh think of the city, they think of the gloomy, smog-filled town built on the foundation of industrial steel, the Robber Baron's of the early twentieth century--like Andrew Carnegie and the Mellon family--and of course, the great Pittsburgh Steelers. They do not think about the low-cost of living and increased purchasing power residents in The Steel City have compared to larger, more populated metro centers, such as Washington, D.C. or New York. Hosting Google and Apple satellite offices, as well as 100 self-driving Uber SUVs roaming more than 90 neighborhoods, the city is Silicon Valley on the East coast. People do not think about that either.

However, Pittsburgh is consistently rated as one of America's most liveable cities due to its low crime rates, expanding yet affordable residential and commercial areas, and investment in educational and technological resources. Simply put, those who often left Pittsburgh looking for professional opportunities elsewhere now stay home, and those who are fleeing gentrified city-centers and expensive cost of living now move to Pittsburgh. As the city's identity has changed from and industrial economy to one of the leading cities for innovation and research, its ancillary scenes have begun to flourish as well.

Previously, on Saturday, August 20, as part of Style Week Pittsburgh, Ryan Brown of farESH Brand, Straightforward Consulting, and Tara Fay curated live music and pop-up shops for the event called Energy. Held at Ace Hotel in East Liberty, clothing brands like Astronaut Kartel Clothing, Daily Bread, Dragon Sup Design Company, Frost Finery, Tacky Tique Men's Vintage, and more set up tables in the old gymnasium turned event space. Music from Courtesy & The People, DJ Bamboo, DJ Jx4, and others completed the ambiance of a curated trade show for Pittsburgh style and culture.

The artful and creative surge in Pittsburgh currently happens because "people want to feel personally connected to what they do," local artist phenom Justin Emmanuel says.

While the lane for ambitious creativity has always been present in The 'Burgh, people of the past trusted the reliable and industrial sources of income. At the moment, the wave is doing for yourself to make your own dreams come true.

During Energy part of Style Week, Brown, Fay, and Straightforward Consulting offered an opportunity for local businesses to sell and advertise in front of an audience akin to their target markets. While listening to music originating from The 'Burgh, young people of many backgrounds explored each table browsing jewelry, high-end streetwear like Supreme, and vintage products, especially those celebrating Pittsburgh.

Courtesy & The People photographed by Xavier Thomas

Those at the event saw the progressive nature the city possesses. Aidan Wallace, a Pittsburgh native who has been away in New York and abroad in Europe for the greater part of five years said, "Pittsburgh is changing, and it makes me want to move back and contribute to the city that raised me."

Opportunities to express ambitions and creativity continue to emerge in the city due to self-motivation and Pittsburgh pride. Catch a chance to experience the movement on Thursday, August 25 and Saturday, August 27 at Spirit, a bar venue in Lawrenceville where attendees will hear the 2000s and contemporary hip-hop breathe. These events are also put together by Brown of farESH Brand along with Natalie Coccia.

Creatives Live in Pittsburgh

Chancelor Humphrey, Pete Butta, and Cody Baker photographed by Natalie Coccia

The sun brightened Market Square, a plaza in Downtown, Pittsburgh with a variety of eateries, like the place that sells french fries on the sandwiches, legendary Primanti Bros. Corporate skyscrapers such as PPG Place, Tower at PNC Plaza, and the Highmark building surround the square.

People ate, conversed, and enjoyed the beautiful weather at metal tables along the rim of the square. Meanwhile, Cody Baker and Chancelor Humphrey's long strides carried them up Market Street past Market Street Grocery, through the center of the square, and to a table where myself and the two Pittsburgh advocates held a conversation.

The young men wear a contemporary style easily noticeable amongst Pittsburgh's blue-collar fashion. Both dressed in T-shirt and tailored jeans with smart footwear, Baker wore pure, white adidas ultra boost, and Humphrey sported black and white Asics.

Baker and Humphrey's movement together started two years ago when they met at Social Status, a sneaker and streetwear apparel boutique with locations in Pittsburgh's Downtown and East Liberty. They bonded over a love for visual art, photography specifically. Their lenses captured cityscapes, each other, friends, and locals.

To those who support and watch the duo, their actions are a feature film on Pittsburgh's creative community.

Baker's natural ability to create content around what he eats, what he drinks, and what he wears matches Humphrey's desire to photograph attitude, fashion, and life of Pittsburgh style.

Both their brands center around the arts and communal gatherings in the city. Before they met, each had a hand in the scene.

Baker worked at Studio A.M. as star painter Baron Batch's photographer. Also, when Baker first moved to Pittsburgh from Chippewa in Beaver County, Pa., he was employed in the restaurant industry. His opportunity there allowed him to handle social media and visual content for NOLA, Perlé, Poros, Seviche, and Sonoma, all restaurants in Downtown and Market Square. Baker has had galleries around town, like photo exhibition "NINELIVES" which shows humans positioned falling in various scenes set in the city.

Humphrey, originally from Aliquippa, Pa., began with a blog called Radio Chumps to document news in the close metropolitan area. When the project did not gain traction, and he took inspiration from a trip to New York, he shifted his focus to lifestyle photography on the streets of Pittsburgh. His company and Instagram called Keep Pittsburgh Dope showcases local people's businesses, clothes, and events.

“You don’t need fifteen hundred followers to get 500 people in a space. You just have to have a good idea.”

Now, as individuals and as a team Baker and Humphrey consistently bring many people of Pittsburgh together. They "hold events that inspire people to do something," Humphrey says.

At one point, it was not uncommon to hear somebody from the city say "there's never anything to do." However, young people currently take direct action to change this and give activities for people to do. 

When outsiders say Pittsburgh is a town of yinzers and jersey-wearing sports fanatics that irritates Baker. While the statement is true, there is more to the city, especially creatively. 

"The biggest thing is to do cool shit that will inspire other people to do their own cool shit," Baker says.

CD6 photographed by Alex Young - Illustration by Lily Valour

A positively overwhelming response came when Baker and Humphrey cohesively launched their Creatives Drink series, "three hours of positive people, good music, and free drinks." More literally a party that connects and features the best parts of Pittsburgh from its businesses to its creatively driven residents.

"You don't need fifteen hundred followers to get 500 people in a space. You just have to have a good idea," Baker says. Although, he and Keep Pittsburgh Dope pull from strong followings on social media platforms. Baker swears by Snapchat. He makes a lot of Geofilters and viewers regularly see what he has for lunch. "I'm always in the restaurants... Pittsburgh food is amazing," he says as he sits surrounded by three of the five restaurants he is the social media manager for. Keep Pittsburgh Dope is ranked under "Pittsburgh's Best Instagram Accounts" by Pittsburgh Magazine, and his numerous posts are appealing.

Whether it is Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Snapchat, Baker and Humphrey utilize online networks to draw people into a unified space. This advertising skill reaches a diverse range of people, and it reflects in the event turnouts.

Baker hosts monthly the Market Street Block Party along with Market Street Grocery in Downtown. Creatives Drink tours around town to bars, coffee shops, hotels, and more. Nicknamed CD, CD5 was at an art museum called Mattress Factory located on the North Side.

The reason community members love Creatives Drink is because it supports local business and the events have representatives from ambitious and progressive audiences. "These venues are hungry for our generation. They are willing to work with us. They see it on social media, and they need to get in that realm because they need us," Humphrey says.

CD's perspective is welcoming and has an attractive model because the events are free. 

Having attended CD5, when CD6 opened at East Liberty's Ace Hotel on August 11, 2016, others and I were thrilled. Dancing to music, having a drink, linking with friends, meeting new people, and participating in local experiences are the reasons Creatives Drink is fun.

On a Thursday the event was held, room occupancy numbers became relevant. Inside the former Y.M.C.A. now known as Ace Hotel, Baker and Humphrey hosted Pittsburgh creatives in a 107-year old gymnasium with an occupancy written at 304. After the first hour of the event slated for 6-9 p.m., CD6 reached capacity. Throughout the night multiple hundreds of kids and adults filtered in and around Ace Hotel.

Line outside Ace Hotel for CD6

This event is the type where you want to check the tabloids to learn of the who's who doing the what's what that were there.

Art car painted by Baron Batch outside of CD6

While outside taking pictures of the long line of people waiting for CD6 that extended through the gym doors, past the lobby, and onto the street, a blue and red-ish accented Porsche 996 Carrera 4S zoomed by. It was an art car painted by vaunted artist Baron Batch. Matthew DeSantis drives the car around Pittsburgh alerting people of the supercar community and his automotive event, Art and Exotics coming in late August. Rapper Mars Jackson arrived wearing a "Mars Knows" T-shirt designed by the owner of FarESH Brand, Ryan Brown, who also attended. The musician was not the only musical talent in the vicinity. Inside, DILLIS, a.k.a. Moth Boy and Cleveland import DJ Topgun were live. DJ Pete Butta played music all night setting the tone. The youthful crowd was most excited when he played "Antidote" by Travis Scott and "Beautiful morning, you're the sun in my morning babe," from Kanye West's song "Father Stretch My Hands, Pt. 1." Radar picked up art curator Sean Beauford's presence. Advanced marketer Natalie Coccia, or "Nattles," was there to document and support her friends and beauty Athens lured eyes. Magician Lee Terbosic entertained the circle of people who watched his card tricks.

Sounds of a person flying an RC toy plane caught attention. Rather, a drone flew in the rafters of Ace Hotel's gym capturing a bird's-eye view of Creatives Drink 6. "This is a cool party," a guy named Aadam said as he gazed at the flying camera.

Both Baker and Humphrey provide settings where people can enjoy themselves. The best part though is that they bring the whole city out when they do. Baker and Humphrey plan to do more of the same on each Thursday to end August. They will host an Instagram meet-up with Verizon, Steel City Grammers, and more on Hotel Monaco's Downtown rooftop. Market Street Block Party will re-occur on August 25.

Creating their own gathering space for people is part of Baker and Humphrey's long-term vision. "We want to create a space where you can conduct an interview in, where you can have a meeting in, where you can come and work, and find inspiration in," Baker says. Plans are still coming together, but the venue will be dynamic and open a lot, so it is convenient.

"We are trying to build a new identity for Pittsburgh outside of sports. In the creative realm, we are a part of this wave, and we live in the perfect city where the market is not over saturated. 30 years from now we want our names stamped in Pittsburgh," Humphrey says.

From the pair, people learn to believe in their own ideas and have the confidence to present them to the public. The time is now.

[View ITR's photos from C.D. 6 at CreativesDrink.com.]

Drink for Free at Creatives Drink 6

Cody Baker and Chancelor Humphrey (ends) of Creatives Drink with Lee Terbosic photographed by Ben Petchel

"Leave your wallet at home," reads Instagram captions on Cody Baker and Keep Pittsburgh Dope's profiles as they advertise for their Creatives Drink event.

At Creatives Drink, held on August 11 at Ace Hotel in Pittsburgh's East Liberty neighborhood, people can attend and drink for free.

"Millennials don't want to spend money. Free is a model to build exposure. It is a way for people to come to your event and then stay," Baker says.

Free has always been the case since Creatives Drink started back on June 25, 2015, at Downtown bar Howl At The Moon. Now in its sixth edition, the CD series is simply described as "three hours of positive people, good music, and free drinks."

Mainly, Creatives Drink is just as much a party as it is a networking event for like-minded individuals in Pittsburgh to connect and share their creative ambitions.

Local entities aid in the environment and provide the alcohol. Boyd and Blair, Escape Room Pittsburgh, Freedom Farms, Market Street Grocery, Spoonwood Brewing Company, and Red Bull's sponsorships make the drinks free. A performance by magician and comedian Lee Terbosic, as well as live music by DJ Pete Butta add entertainment. Additionally, Stage AE and Thrival music festival will give away free concert tickets to select first attendees.

With a goal to inspire and showcase the best parts of Pittsburgh, Creatives Drink works with collaboration. See business owners, designers, musicians, youths, and other driven persons gather publicly as a community.

From 6-9 p.m., Creatives Drink 6 "welcomes anyone who strives to be creative" to Ace Hotel. 

Ace Hotel

120 S Whitfield St

Pittsburgh, PA 15206

Levels Agency Brings Major Entertainment to Pittsburgh

Wayne Davis, Elisha Hill and Elijah Hill of Levels Agency photographed by Alex Young

It is crazy how sports in Pittsburgh drive so much of the city's culture. The athletics move the people's actions and thoughts daily. Football remains a fanatical heritage, but basketball is popular too especially among the city's high school ranks. Leagues like the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League and City League offer competitions against communities, which often turn into friendly and working relationships off the playing fields.

Such is the case with the founders of Levels Agency, an event, management, and marketing agency stationed in Pittsburgh. Twins Elijah and Elisha Hill, residents of Wilkinsburg, and Wayne Davis, a native of Penn Hills, all met off the court at a leadership seminar, then later strengthened their bond playing basketball against each other at Wilkinsburg and Propel.

At our initial meeting in Monroeville Mall, the friends explain to me how they started Levels Agency and began hosting events. It is easy to understand how athletics forged their relationship and influence the confidence with which they carry themselves. Elijah, Elisha and Wayne all wear Jordan Brand sneakers while sitting on two benches conversing.

When the trio studied together at Slippery Rock University, a school 51 miles from the 'Burgh, they grew tired of the weak parties there. 2 1/2 years ago they threw their first party called Project 412. "We expected 100 people if that, and we promoted so crazy it turned out to be 3,000 people," Elijah says.

Levels' success is in large majority due to the network of people they know in Pittsburgh and its surrounding areas. "In some type of way we know the whole city," Wayne says. "If there is somebody we don't know, Wayne knows them. If there is somebody Wayne doesn't know, we know them," Elijah adds. In high school and in college they were cool with everybody, and their basketball careers made them popular.

The groups' contacts allow them to offer opportunities to their friends in Pittsburgh that want to go to a concert, hold a fashion show, model, party, or perform a show. "We get presented with opportunities so we want to give somebody else an opportunity as well," Elijah says.

Going on 15-events as Levels Agency LLC, Davis and the Hill Brothers, along with partners Keith James, Malcolm Moore and Sierra Nunley, prepare to host Atlanta artist Young Thug for Summer Jam at The Southside Event Center just off of East Carson Street. Davis and Hills' friends Asco, Hardo, Joel Kellem, and Pk Delay, all rappers opening up for Young Thug on July 31, are "people we grew up with," and they wanted to reach out to them with an opportunity to showcase their talent.

Locally, Levels keeps an ear out for talent while they are at bars and nightclubs on the South Side and at the soon-to-close Altar Bar venue in the Strip District. When they are out of town, the group is just as observant. On a recent trip to Florida, they saw how people in the club react to artist Kodak Black. "A song came on and we were like 'oh yeah, we have to bring that back to Pittsburgh.'" Up and coming singer PnB Rock, who just released a mixtape with star Fetty Wap, will also warm up the stage for Thug.

The company consistently brings authentic hip-hop sounds to The 'Burgh. In the past, they put on shows for rap contemporary and rap legend Shy Glizzy and Lil Boosie, respectively. On October 1 Atlanta's Godfather Gucci Mane is coming to The Steel City.

Responsibly, Levels sees their role in the city's popular culture as "something to do," Elisha says. "We are young, we are all 21, and trying to build a culture geared towards young people. We could do this anywhere outside of the city, but we like bringing it to the city because we are from Pixburgh," Elisha says.

Although the agency currently shows love to the town that raised them, they plan to go national and offer events in cities such as Atlanta, Cleveland, and Washington, D.C. They desire to throw parties during NBA All-Star weekend and connect with the athletes or even sponsor boxing matches in Las Vegas. "Once we reach one level we are ready to go to the next one. We will keep out doing ourselves, and that is why we call ourselves Levels Agency," Elijah says.

With the ability to draw crowds upwards of 6,000 people, Levels pushes their operations in the right way. They read over contracts with artists three and four times to make sure the business aspect is tight. They lean on their studies in Business Management to make sure things are legal, and they always invest their earnings back into the company. Rarely does Levels run into road blocks. One time, rapper K Camp canceled on them a month before the show. Rather than cancel their entire event, Levels quickly booked Lil Boosie as a replacement and had better success.

"We don't even get to enjoy our shows because we are running around working. We throw the show, we sell our own tickets, and we deliver the tickets to people. In order to touch the community you have to be in it," Elijah says. Along with catering to customers, Davis and the Hill brothers pay close attention to the needs of their performing artists. The "rider" lists the performers request are demanding. Young Thug requires Hanes socks and chicken wings. Shy Glizzy demanded 300 glow-in-the-dark Dom Perignon bottles, which most clubs in Pittsburgh do not even stock, so he did not get them.

Buy tickets to see Young Thug on July 31 here

Additionally, the Levels brand is advertised thoroughly on social media, and they have billboards throughout Pittsburgh promoting the Young Thug show, and also commercials that run on channels such as VH1 and BET. But the best way they promote for events is with their faces. Tickets are always on hand when Davis and the Hill brothers commute through The 'Burgh. During our meeting at the mall, Wayne stepped away from the conversation to sell tickets to a mall patron that approached him in the food court. Earlier that day Elisha was in Erie, Pa. selling tickets too.

"Wayne is always on the go selling tickets. I swear it seems like he sells 100 tickets a day," Elijah praises.

I rode in the back of a Kia SUV with the twins on their way to see their Summer Jam billboard for the first time. On the way, I saw Elijah deliver a handful of tickets to one of his partners living in the Hill District. He needed to re-up as many people contacted him to purchase tickets. The Hill brothers also discussed how long they wanted Wilkinsburg rapper Hardo to perform. "30 to 45 minutes," they debated back and forth.

"I'm nervous for everything to play out well at Summer Jam," Elisha says. But, "what's beautiful about what we do is we bring everybody together under one roof for one night to see something good."

This type of positivity is important for Pittsburgh's nightlife community, especially for the black people who frequent clubs and bars and often get stereotyped for their attire or forced to adhere to a dress code or get denied from throwing events at certain establishments.

"It's crazy because sometimes the color of your skin does play a factor in some things, but at the end of the day you have to support us because we keep getting bigger," Elisha says.

"We represent blacks well," Wayne says, and "the people that come to our shows respect us," Elisha continues. There is no funny business at a Levels Agency event because the people that attend their functions appreciate what the group is delivering to the city. Police presence also keeps everyone safe. And, after originally discriminating and turning down the event company for shows on the South Side and other areas of the city, club owners now realize the business value Levels brings to the table. Their celebratory atmospheres, popularity, and success make Levels Agency a desirable entity to do business with.

The Hill Brothers at their Summer Jam billboard in the Hill District

The trio carries a chip on their shoulders because people took a while to recognize their full potential, but "we are always positive and use that as motivation," the Hill brothers say.

When Davis and the Hills got their first taste of success at their first party, Project 412 in New Castle, Pa., that was when "we saw how many people we could bring together," says Wayne.

Ever since then as Levels Agency, the group strives to entertain the city of Pittsburgh. Their show on July 31 with Young Thug, presented in part by iGrind Global, is another example of bringing major talent to the city people will appreciate.

As Levels goes forward, they will continue to take "logical risks" to achieve broad success from a platform that can entertain people across the world.

Southside Event Center

415 Bingham Street

Pittsburgh, PA 15203