Have you ever been to a Pittsburgh basement? Have you ever seen a band perform in one?

In this continuing series of finding venues outside the traditional box office, our intern Oliver Arner found a spot in the basement of a mansion on Chatham University's campus. The Rea Coffeehouse has been a student-run music venue since the school acquired the building in 1967. Oliver talks with Rea Coffeehouse co-president, Olivia Martin.

Olivia gives an insight on the mansion’s history, the venue’s upcoming events, and what makes these type of house shows so appealing! Olivia also shares her journey from attending the shows, to running operations, to designing the flyers, and now becoming the co-president. The venue features mainly indie bands from across the Pittsburgh region, but it is open to all genres. They also host poetry readings and school events!

Upcoming shows include one on September 5th and October 24th.

You can learn more about the Rea Coffeehouse on their Instagram page. Thanks for tuning in to WQED's Voice of the Arts, Pittsburgh's trusted

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