SongSpace Presents

Joe Jencks
First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh
Saturday May 2, 2026
7:30pm 

Advance Tickets at uusongspace.eventbee.com

Radio interviews with Joe Jencks!

Listen to Joe’s interview with Mando Richard arond 11:15am Wed April 22 on Whiskey Before Breakfast, WRCT 88.3 FM Pittsburgh and www.wrct.org, and again around 9:15am on Thursday April 30. And of course you can stream the interview soon after it airs on April 22 at www.mixcloud.com/mandorichard!

Details are still being worked out for an interview the morning of the show, May 2, on the Satuday Light Brigade (also on WRCT), so keep your ears perked up for that.  As soon as we know, we’ll post the particulars on Instagram and Facebook. 

Joe Jencks is a 27-year veteran of the international Folk circuit, an award-winning songwriter, and a celebrated vocalist based in northern Illinois. He is known for his performances of musical beauty, social consciousness, and invitational exploration of complex ideas. Jencks delivers engaged musical narratives filled with heart, soul, groove and grit. Blending well-crafted instrumentals and vivid songwriting, Jencks serves it all up with a lyric baritone voice that has the edgy richness of a good sea-salt caramel. 

“The spirit of Folk music is people working together. Joe is a fantastic singer who carries on the traditions.” ~ Pete Seeger
 
“In a dark and frequently shallow time, how refreshing to hear a man willing to wear his heart on his sleeve. How refreshing to hear someone sing with passion about matters which are not directly related to HIM. A man with a golden voice, who has a great feeling for history, and the role that songs play in documenting that history.”  ~ Luka Bloom, Singer-Songwriter, IRE

Saturday May 2, 2026
Doors 7:00pm
Show 7:30pm
General $20+fee advanced; $25 at the door
Student/reduced income: $15+fee advanced; $20 at the door

Advance Tickets at uusongspace.eventbee.com

SongSpace at First Unitarian
First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh
605 Morewood Avenue, Shadyside
Pittsburgh PA 15213

SongSpace Presents

Joe Jencks
First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh
Saturday May 2, 2026
7:30pm 

“Joe tells our stories, his story, and the untold stories, as only an American folk master can…” — SIRIUS XM Radio

Advance Tickets at uusongspace.eventbee.com

Joe Jencks is a 27-year veteran of the international Folk circuit, an award-winning songwriter, and a celebrated vocalist based in northern Illinois. He is known for his performances of musical beauty, social consciousness, and invitational exploration of complex ideas. Jencks delivers engaged musical narratives filled with heart, soul, groove and grit. Blending well-crafted instrumentals and vivid songwriting, Jencks serves it all up with a lyric baritone voice that has the edgy richness of a good sea-salt caramel. 
 
Jencks has penned several #1 Folk songs, including the ever-relevant “Lady of The Harbor,” and has become a fan favorite throughout North America and beyond. A dual U.S.-Irish citizen, Joe also performed as a Cultural Ambassador during the Obama Administration, traveling to multiple Caribbean nations with the U.S. State Department, singing both original and American Folksongs about work, workers, and Civil Rights. Joe was the musical director for an annual Veterans retreat: Warriors Heart to Art, writing songs with military vets. Joe is also a recording artist, producer, and a Folk DJ. (My Highway Home ~ on Folk Music Notebook) Joe has sung and preached in more that 200 UU congregations across the U.S., Canada, and Ireland. www.joejencks.com.

Saturday May 2, 2026
Doors 7:00pm
Show 7:30pm
General $20+fee advanced; $25 at the door
Student/reduced income: $15+fee advanced; $20 at the door

Advance Tickets at uusongspace.eventbee.com

SongSpace at First Unitarian
First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh
605 Morewood Avenue, Shadyside
Pittsburgh PA 15213

Present

Larry & Joe
First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh
Saturday March 14, 2026
7:30pm

We couldn’t resist sharing this Instagram reel from the dynamic duo themselves about Saturday night’s concert!

“Pittsburgh! We’re so ready to get back to Steel City this Saturday, March 14. We’re playing a show presented by SongSpace & Calliope.

It’ll be a hoot!

Larry & Joe live in Pittsburgh
Saturday March 14

7pm doors
7:30pm-9:30pm show

SongSpace
First Unitarian Church
605 Morewood Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213

All ages!

🎟️ : $25 GA, $10 student
At the door, or at calliopehouse.org“

“Can’t wait to get to Pittsburgh — Y’all Bring It!” — Joe Troop

SongSpace at First Unitarian
First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh
605 Morewood Avenue, Shadyside
Pittsburgh PA 15213

Present

Larry & Joe
First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh
Saturday March 14, 2026
7:30pm 

SongSpace & Calliope have partnered together to bring you an extraordinary evening of music at First Unitarian Church in Shadyside.

“…Another bold move…bending boundaries but still retaining the emotive and expressive qualities common to folk traditions that extend from north to south.” – Bluegrass Today

Buy tickets at Calliope
Advance Tickets bought at eventbee.com will also be honored!

Larry & Joe were destined to make music together.

Larry Bellorín hails from Monagas, Venezuela and is a legend of Llanera music. Joe Troop is from North Carolina and is a GRAMMY-nominated bluegrass and oldtime musician. Larry was forced into exile and wound up in North Carolina. Joe, after a decade in South America, got stranded back in his stomping grounds in the pandemic. Larry worked construction to make ends meet. Joe’s acclaimed “latingrass” band Che Apalache was forced into hiatus. Then Larry met Joe.

Currently based on the Triangle of North Carolina, both men are versatile multi-instrumentalists and singer-songwriters on a mission to show that music has no borders. As a duo they perform a fusion of Venezuelan and Appalachian folk music on harp, banjo, cuatro, fiddle, maracas, guitar, upright bass, and whatever else they decide to throw in the van. The program they offer features a distinct blend of their musical inheritances and traditions as well as storytelling about the ways that music and social movements coalesce.

Hear the joy as Joe chats with Mando Richard on Whiskey Before Breakfast on mixcloud!

You can hear them on NPR’s Here and Now too!

“Can’t wait to get to Pittsburgh — Y’all Bring It!”  – Joe Troop

Doors 7:00pm
Show 7:30pm
General $30 adv / $30 at the door
Student/reduced income: $15 adv / $15 at the door
No processing fee!

Buy tickets at Calliope
Advance Tickets bought at eventbee.com will also be honored!

SongSpace at First Unitarian
First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh
605 Morewood Avenue, Shadyside
Pittsburgh PA 15213
 

Coming up in May!

SongSpace presents

Joe Jencks
May 2, 2026
7:30pm

Joe Jencks is a 25-year veteran of the international folk circuit, an award-winning songwriter, and celebrated vocalist based in Chicago. Merging conservatory training with his Irish roots (dual U.S./Irish Citizen) and working-class upbringing, Joe delivers engaged musical narratives filled with heart, soul, groove and grit. A co-founder of the harmony trio, Brother Sun,  Jencks weaves a diverse web of stories with brilliant musical skill, ensnaring even the most rigid of hearts, inviting them to open. His songs invite us to live inside of our passions and our beliefs.

Advance tickets at eventbee.com!

SongSpace at First Unitarian
First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh
605 Morewood Avenue, Shadyside
Pittsburgh PA 15213

SongSpace and Calliope are collaborating to present

Larry & Joe
March 14, 2026
7:30pm

Larry & Joe were destined to make music together.

Larry Bellorín hails from Monagas, Venezuela and is a legend of Llanera music. Joe Troop is from North Carolina and is a GRAMMY-nominated bluegrass and oldtime musician. Larry was forced into exile and wound up in North Carolina. Joe, after a decade in South America, got stranded back in his stomping grounds in the pandemic. Larry worked construction to make ends meet. Joe’s acclaimed “latingrass” band Che Apalache was forced into hiatus. Then Larry met Joe.

Ticketing information: Calliope Event Page.
Advance tickets bought through eventbee.com will also be honored!

Same Great Venue:

SongSpace at First Unitarian
First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh
605 Morewood Avenue, Shadyside
Pittsburgh PA 15213

You are who make SongSpace possible.  We, and the artists, are so grateful that you support live music in Pittsburgh.

Madeline Jo & Friends
with Devin Russian
SongSpace at First Unitarian
Saturday January 24, 2026
7:30pm 

Advance Tickets at uusongspace.eventbee.com!

Interviews with the artists

• Wednesay January 14 around 11:15am on Whiskey Before Breakfast, WRCT FM 88.3 and streaming later on mixcloud.com
• Saturday January 17 at 11:05am on the Saturday Light Brigade, WRCT FM 88.3 and streaming later on slbradio.com

Madeline Jo & Friends is an alternative folk band from Pittsburgh, PA. Truly best friends, the 7 piece ensemble never fails to have an absolute blast on stage as they blend the sounds of traditional American folk music with newer indie rock and pop elements. This is reflected in their instrumentation with acoustic guitar and tambourine appearing alongside electric bass and keys. At the center of their sound are dynamic three part harmonies influenced by bands like The Indigo Girls and I’m With Her. Madeline Jo & Friends play around Pittsburgh at local venues, festivals, and DIY spaces. The band’s debut album, “Gather,” can be found on all streaming services. 

Devin Russian is a Pittsburgh-based alternative rock/indie-folk singer-songwriter known for introspective lyrics, atmospheric melodies, and themes of nature, astronomy, and Pittsburgh life (like his song “Rivers of Pittsburgh”). You can hear him at many local venues, including the Starlite Lounge, Moondog’s, Ruckus Cafe, and Mr. Small’s, and he was recently a featured artist for Acousticafe’s Nourish Your Neighbors fundraiser for the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank. His latest album, “Spaces Corners”, is streaming everywhere.

Doors 7:00pm
Show 7:30pm
General $15+fee advanced; $20 at the door
Student $10+fee advanced; $15 at the door
Or, pay what you can to support live music in Pittsburgh!

Advance Tickets at uusongspace.eventbee.com!

https://uusongspace.com
SongSpace at First Unitarian
First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh
605 Morewood Avenue, Shadyside
Pittsburgh PA 15213

 

An Evening With Hiroya Tusukamoto
SongSpace at First Unitarian
Friday October 3, 2025
7:30pm 

Advance Tickets at uusongspace.eventbee.com!

Note: Our season announcement a few weeks ago incorrectly gave the date of Oct 10 for Hiroya Tsukamoto’s concert.  Hiroya will be here Friday October 3.

Upcoming Radio interviews with Hiroya Tsukamoto!

• Saturday Light Brigade (WRCT 88.3FM and online) with host Larry Berger Sat Sept 27 11am, and streaming later from the  the SLB catalog.
   
• Whiskey Before Breakfast (WRCT 88.3FM and online) with host Richard Gordon Wed Sept 24, at 11:15 am (and again on Oct 2 at 9:15 am), streaming later on Mixcloud.

Hiroya Tsukamoto started playing bluegrass banjo in Kyoto Japan, then switched to acoustic and

 electric guitars, and in 2000 moved to the United States to attend the Berklee School of Music…  Now based in New York City, Hiroya Tsukamoto is a little bit Leo Kottke, a little bit Kaki King, a little bit Paul Winter Consort, and one of the finest fingerstyle guitarists you will hear. 

“Hiroya takes us to an impressionistic journey”-Boston Herald

“The fingerpicking is delicate, fluid, and beautifully detailed” -Acoustic Guitar Magazine

“…chops, passion and warmth. Zealously recommended!” -Jazz Review.com

Doors 7:00pm
Show 7:30pm
General $20+fee advanced; $25 at the door
Student $15+fee advanced; $20 at the door
Or, pay what you can to support live music in Pittsburgh!

Advance Tickets at uusongspace.eventbee.com!

https://uusongspace.com
SongSpace at First Unitarian
First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh
605 Morewood Avenue, Shadyside
Pittsburgh PA 15213

An Evening With Hiroya Tusukamoto
SongSpace at First Unitarian
Friday October 3, 2025
7:30pm 

Advance Tickets at uusongspace.eventbee.com!

Note: Our season announcement a few weeks ago incorrectly gave the date of Oct 10 for Hiroya Tsukamoto’s concert.  Hiroya will be here Friday October 3.

Hiroya Tsukamoto started playing bluegrass banjo in Kyoto Japan, then switched to acoustic and electric guitars, and in 2000 moved to the United States to attend the Berklee School of Music…  Now based in New York City, Hiroya Tsukamoto is a little bit Leo Kottke, a little bit Kaki King, a little bit Paul Winter Consort, and one of the finest fingerstyle guitarists you will hear. 

“Hiroya takes us to an impressionistic journey” -Boston Herald

“The fingerpicking is delicate, fluid, and beautifully detailed” -Acoustic Guitar Magazine

Eclectic, immersive and mesmerizing; Internationally acclaimed guitarist, songwriter and storyteller Hiroya Tsukamoto takes you on an innovative, impressionistic journey filled with earthy, organic soundscapes that impart a mood of peace and tranquility, a brief respite from the cares of this world.

Hiroya Tsukamoto has been leading concerts internationally including several appearances at the Blue Note (NYC), the United Nations and on Japanese National Television (NHK). Hiroya is a two time 2nd place winner of International Fingerstyle Guitar Championship in 2018 and 2022.  He has released six albums.

“…chops, passion and warmth. Zealously recommended!” -Jazz Review.comDoors 7:00pm
Show 7:30pm
General $20+fee advanced; $25 at the door
Student $15+fee advanced; $20 at the door
Or, pay what you can to support live music in Pittsburgh!

Find Advance Tickets at uusongspace.eventbee.com!

SongSpace at First Unitarian
First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh
605 Morewood Avenue, Shadyside
Pittsburgh PA 15213