Mr. Smalls

Last updated
Mr. Smalls
St. Ann Church Millvale (Mr. Smalls).jpg
Mr. Smalls exterior
Mr. Smalls
Former namesSt. Ann's Catholic Church
Address400 Lincoln Avenue
Location Millvale, Pennsylvania 15209 United States
OwnerMike Speranzo, Liz Berlin
TypeLive music venue, nightclub, bar
Genre(s)Music
Seating typestanding and seating
Capacity 1000 (800 in Theatre)
Construction
Built1924
Opened2002
Renovated2000
Expanded2014
ArchitectVarious
Website
www.mrsmalls.com

Mr. Smalls is a live music venue in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania suburb of Millvale. It is an eclectic and innovative indie venue [1] due to its location in a converted church from the early 20th century, [2] its multiple interior event spaces (including four stages, a recording studio, multiple bars, and a restaurant), and its hosting of thousands of national, regional and local artists since its inception as a venue. [3] Mr. Smalls has been the live music venue for many touring national acts over the years including Fall Out Boy, Bill Clinton, [4] Snoop Dogg, CKY, [5] Muse, Smashing Pumpkins, Bone Thugs N Harmony, Kesha, Interpol, Buckethead and Metric. It has a capacity of over 1,000 people amongst its various interior event spaces, namely the two performance spaces: the Theatre (800 people) and the Funhouse (175 people). [6]

Contents

History

Located in Millvale, Pennsylvania, the building in which Mr. Smalls resides once belonged to the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh as the site of St. Ann's Catholic Church, which was built in 1924 [7] The building was purchased in 2000 by current owners (and married couple) Mike Speranzo and Liz Berlin. [8] Together, they founded Mr. Smalls in 2002. Speranzo is a musician and former competitive skateboarder, and Berlin is a longtime member of Rusted Root, a worldbeat rock band who attained commercial success in the 1990s. [9] The name of the venue was inspired by the childhood nickname of their son, Jordan. [10]

When it was purchased, the building underwent extensive renovations in order to convert it to its new use as a music venue, recording studio and skate park. In addition to those functions, Creative.Life.Support offers services such as artist career development and professional opportunities in conjunction with the venue. Over the years, the venue has grown and evolved to accommodate its audience and demands. It has become one of the only venues in the area that can house large national acts as well as small ones. [11] Professional skateboarder Evan Smith references Mr. Smalls as a venue that had a major influence on the development of his skating and music. Mr. Smalls is an independent venue, event space [12] and recording studio to this day, and is known for supporting the careers of many talented artists and bands. [13]

Interior layout and rooms

Baroness performs at Mr. Smalls Theatre Stage Baroness live at Mr Smalls.jpg
Baroness performs at Mr. Smalls Theatre Stage

Inside the building, there are many spaces each serving various functions:

Notable acts

Notable acts who have performed at Mr. Smalls include the following artists and speakers:

References

  1. "Mr. Smalls Theatre: Pittsburgh Area's Finest Concert Venue with Low Cut Connie Concert Review".
  2. "- Grouping 101 - Diocese of Pittsburgh, PA". Grouping 101. Retrieved 2020-12-22.
  3. "Why you should visit Pittsburgh". Washington Post.
  4. "President Bill Clinton in Millvale, Pennsylvania". C-SPAN.org.
  5. "CKY - Live at Mr. Smalls Funhouse". Discogs . 2006.
  6. "U.S. Venue Spotlight Pittsburgh PA Mr. Smalls Theatre".
  7. "Diocese of Pittsburgh, PA". Grouping 101.
  8. Mulkerin, Andy. "Mr. Small's owners work with an old friend to get out of debt". Pittsburgh City Paper.
  9. "Take a Cosmic Musical Journey With Pro Skateboarder Evan Smith". Men's Journal. October 9, 2018.
  10. "Mr. Smith's Funhouse". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  11. "Pittsburgh Art Places". pghartplaces.org. Archived from the original on 2020-08-06. Retrieved 2019-11-13.
  12. Wardle, Lisa (February 9, 2018). "24 unique wedding venues in Pennsylvania, from a cigar warehouse to roller coasters". pennlive.
  13. Snowden, Jordan. "Solidarity over competition: How Black femme musicians in Pittsburgh are finally getting the spotlight". Pittsburgh City Paper.
  14. "Mr. Smalls opens smaller Millvale venue". TribLIVE.com.
  15. "Creative Life Support".
  16. "The big list of summer concerts". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. May 16, 2019.
  17. "The 95 Best Alternative Rock Songs of 1995". Spin. August 6, 2015.

40°28′51.2″N79°58′20.2″W / 40.480889°N 79.972278°W / 40.480889; -79.972278