Spotify Playlist |
Pittsburgh Coachella: A Steel City Playlist
Coachella may be over, but we're keeping the festival spirit alive—Pittsburgh-style—with a playlist full of artists with Steel City roots who deserve a main stage moment. Think indie, hip-hop, neo-soul, funk, punk, and genre-bending greatness that turns our bridges into runways and rivers into rave lights.
Ollie Braeburn - “Take My”
Ollie Braeburn’s “Take My” floats somewhere between heartache and a dance floor, mixing indie pop feels with dreamy electronic shimmer. Think Medium Build if he swapped flannel for a disco ball — emotional, atmospheric, and totally Coachella-core.
The Freeloaders - “Leaves”
The Freeloaders crank out gritty riffs and full-throttle energy that scream classic rock revival — like the Sonora tent at sunset, sweat, swagger, and amps turned way up. Pittsburgh might be home, but their sound’s built for a Coachella crowd ready to rage.
Jvggy Hendrix - “How You Feel”
A kaleidoscope of groove — part pop rock confessional, part house-party anthem. “How You Feel” is smooth, stylish, and a little unpredictable, like if Anderson .Paak remixed The Strokes after a late-night soul session. Jvggy Hendrix would fit right in under the Mojave tent, where musical boundaries go to blur.
Fake Grave - “Spring”
Fake Grave sounds like if the Pixies got lost in a mosh pit and liked it — jagged, emo-tinged punk with DIY grit and zero chill. They’d tear up the Sonora tent, right between a circle pit and a group scream.
Almost Exactly Like Julia - “A New Kind of Love”
Your favorite rainy day playlist has come to life: warm vocals, gentle guitar, and feelings for days. Clairo meets Still Woozy in a cozy sweater, crooning under the Gobi tent while everyone sways and maybe cries a little (in a good way).
Pharaoh Lum - “Like A Dawg”
Bringing enormous punch and razor-sharp bars, Pharaoh Lum’s track “Like A Dawg” growls with swagger and bounce. He’d fit right in lighting up the Sahara tent, somewhere between Uzi chaos and Megan-level command.
Beauty Slap - “Wop De Wop”
Beauty Slap is what happens when a brass band crashes a rave and everyone decides to stay. Bringing brass-blasted funk and EDM energy that can command an outdoor field full of dancing strangers. Giant sound, giant vibes — main stage worthy.
Anqwenique - “Full View” by FRH Golden feat pvkvsv and Anqwenique
Anqwenique’s genre-spanning vocals (from opera to jazz) would stun in a candlelit lounge space or intimate garden set. Her voice doesn’t just fill a room — it transforms it. One minute you’re in a smoky jazz club, the next you’re floating through a dream.
Chariot Fade - “Make Yours Like Mine”
Bring your floaty brain. Chariot Fade is known for creating expansive, cinematic synthscapes that drift between dream pop, shoegaze, and experimental electronica; perfect for getting lost in a neon fog at 2 a.m. For the weirdos and wanderers to the Ambient / Experimental Tent.
DJ Femi - Sad Bear Radio: Ep 32 Sundaze Unedited Mix
Soulful house, Afrobeat, and irresistible groove. She’s already a local legend — the Yuma tent would only amplify the glow.
Bonus
Terrance Hayes, Toi Derricotte, Damon Young, and Brian Broome: Audiobooks for the Talk Tent / Book-to-Stage / Lit Corner, featuring literary artists with Steel City roots
This corner of the desert festival is like a panel space (think Joan Didion and Questlove having a convo). Pittsburgh is literary as hell — let's put Black excellence and bold storytelling center stage for readings, convos, and poetry slams between sets.