Growing up in Roberta, Georgia - population: 800, with its rich assortment of eccentric characters, southern wit and teenage isolation, helped rising singer/songwriter Meiko find a clear voice and keen insight. She's built an already impressive following, quickly becoming one of the west coast's most enchanting and promising talents.

"Being an awkward, bored middle schooler was really helpful for my creative skills," she remembers, "because I spent a lot of time alone, in my room, playing my guitar. I could also run around a lot outside, not having any supervision. When you're raised in the middle of the woods, your imagination soars."

The Bright Side, Meiko's second solo release and Fantasy Records/Concord debut, is an intimate, fearless song-cycle about risk, regret, tenderness and love. Her indelible melodies and sharp lyrical viewpoint give The Bright Side a powerful, artistic punch.

"There was a turning point where I decided to stop being so pessimistic about relationships and people and love," explains the L.A. based songwriter. "It's called The Bright Side," Meiko says, "but musically there are many sides to it. It's got the electronic beat side, the retro side and even an R&B side. I was able to do everything I wanted to do."

Thumping beneath the mix are electronic beats that she helped create with her three producers, including Belgian electro-pop wiz Styrofoam, known for his remixes of songs by The Postal Service and The Submarines.

Meiko, whose name (pronounced MEE-KO) is derived from her one-fourth Japanese heritage, filled her first album with songs about heartache and rocky relationships; a broken heart can be great for songwriting. The album's coffeehouse folk-pop was largely sad-eyed and blue, recounting the story of a 20-something girl trying to find someone, anyone, to spend her days and nights with.

"The new songs were all born on the guitar, but I wanted to make this record a little more lively," she says. We played around with beats and came up with something that people could move to. There is more color, layers and texture this time around - acoustic guitars, piano, strings, horns and background harmonies."

A self-starter by necessity, Meiko learned very early that a little moxie and imagination goes along way - and that rebelliousness was often an entertaining alternative to boredom. The family lived in a log cabin built by her father, a guitarist who played classic rock songs around the house. Meiko quickly learned to play guitar, too, writing her first song at the age of 5 and honing her vocal chops at church; where she made her singing debut at 8 years old - performing "White Christmas."

After attending college for one semester, Meiko left Georgia and moved to Los Angeles in 2001, where it took her five years to summon up the courage to play her first official show. And what a show it was.

"I played for two people," she remembers. "The whole time I was up there, I was thinking, 'This is terrible; there's only a pair of people in the audience.' Afterwards, I went over to thank them for coming, and one of them turned out to be deaf."

Her music didn't fall on deaf ears for long. By 2007, while bartending at the Hotel Cafe, ground zero for the new wave of young, folksy songwriters, Meiko finally landed a coveted opening slot. From there she gigged relentlessly, performing wherever and whenever she could, eventually becoming the artist to see at the popular club and at venues around town. The self-released first album arrived that year later reissued by MySpace Records -- making sure to include "Boys With Girlfriends," a new song that quickly became a Top 15 hit at Triple A radio in 2008. Heavy airplay at stations like KCRW, Santa Monica's influential NPR powerhouse, led more notice and glowing press. The high profile exposure also caught the ear of key music supervisors, which led to song placements in many television shows and films, including Grey's Anatomy, One Tree Hill, Pretty Little Liars and 10 Things I Hate About You among others.

"I toured pretty much all the time from 2007 through 2009," she remembers; listing European tours with Hanson, solo headlining dates across America and late-night TV appearances on Conan O'Brien and Carson Daly. Along the way, she wrote dozens of songs for the new album and work-shopped them in front of live audiences, making sure they could withstand a high level of scrutiny; both hers and theirs.

It's a long way from Roberta, Georgia, and Meiko's long path hasn't always been easy. But maybe that's the point. The journey's magnificent mess is what makes life so interesting, and Meiko superbly chronicles the beautiful, roller-coaster trip on The Bright Side.
show less

PATRICK VARINE

Patrick Varine grew up surrounded by music on all sides, with a father who loved Dylan and Springsteen, a sister who majored in opera performance and a mother who loved Aretha Franklin, directed choir and played the church organ. After playing trumpet and drums in high school, he taught himself to play guitar while attending Duquesne University.

He has performed at Frankie & Georgie's 4Wood Grille in Squirrel Hill, Club Cafe on the South Side, Table 22 in Murrysville and other venues in the greater Pittsburgh area, blending acoustic originals with the music of artists like the Grateful Dead, Dylan, J.J. Cale, Paul Simon, Tom Waits and more. He has shared the stage with fellow Pittsburgh artists like The Grifters, theCAUSE and the Old E Allstars. (And technically with Steve Kimock, although Steve was already sharing the stage with theCAUSE!)

With a love of singer-songwriters, American roots music and its psychedelic progeny, Varine's sets are always unique.

"I get really bored, really fast, playing the same songs all the time, so I try to keep a wide range of covers rotating in and out of the setlists," he said. "I might play an obscure Dead tune for a few shows, then it'll disappear for six months. If it works, it'll stick around for a few sets. If not, it's on to something new."

THE GRIFTERS

Classically trained bassist Trish Imbrogno joins finger-picking style guitarist Peter Flynn to create the folk/blues group, The Grifters. The combination of their polar styles lends a unique sound to traditional American folk music.

What does it sound like when a metalhead-turned-Deadhead classical bassist and acoustic-roots guitarist get together? You'll have to hear for yourself...

show less

Join Club Cafe for an evening of live local music featuring Ben Hackett. show less

Columbus, Ohio, rockers, Two Cow Garage, are proud to announce their 5th album and follow up to the incredible album, "Speaking In Cursive". The album, "Sweet Saint Me" picks up where "Speaking In Cursive" left off but the album is a lot more focused and the songwriting could not be better. The album mixes rockers and acoustic tracks alike and hits home the fact that Two Cow Garage are becoming one of the greatest albeit underrated rock bands in America. Sure, I am biased, but if you have been following the guys since the beginning, you have most certainly noticed that the band has slowly forged their own sound (out of their alt-country humble beginnings) and have put together one of the most thunderous live sets you will ever see. The 13 track album boasts the strongest collection of songs Two Cow Garage have put together. show less

In short, Pittsburgh native singer-songwriters Zack Simmen and Jason Buzon, write inspired music with subtle melodies and story telling lyrics. In short, they write songs.... And play them for others. Opening act - Johnny Miller combines masterful songwriting with melodious guitar structures making him one of Pittsburgh's best kept secrets. show less

Join Club Cafe for an evening of live and local rock featuring Wizard Bomb and Big Gypsy. Tickets only $5. show less

Club Cafe, a landmark of Pittsburgh's South Side, is now hosting Sunday Brunch with an international twist. With the curtains drawn up, soft daylight pours into the recently remodeled music venue, bringing a new feel to the room so familiar to its concert patrons. The concept of the European Cafe comes to Pittsburgh here, combining imported ingredients with fresh, locally sourced items to keep prices reasonable for comfortable dining with subtle refinement. Head Chef Monique Achaia Ruvolo and craft cocktail wizard Abigail Smith have joined forces to create a menu that fills the soul and excites the palate. Open every Sunday from 10:30am with last seating at 2:00pm. show less

No Cover!

Pittsburgh's #1 Open Stage returns to Club Cafe with host Joy Ike. Fashioned after some of the high profile and wildly successful open stages in Nashville and New York City, AcoustiCafe's open stage intends to create a supportive environment for artists to network with their peers, test new music or haul out old favorites, and most importantly, extend their reach in the local scene.

Ages 21+ Only. show less

Gruff Rhys has announced his second investigative concert tour of the Americas. The first, which saw Gruff winding his way around South America in a search for his long lost, guitar-playing, poncho-wearing uncle, Rene Griffiths, was documented by Dylan Goch in their 2010 feature film Separado! In August 2012 Gruff - known around the world for his work with Super Furry Animals and Neon Neon, as well as his collaborations with Gorillaz, Dangermouse, Sparklehorse and Simian Mobile Disco - will be seeking out the final resting place of his relative John Evans, who left Wales in 1792 on a quest to find a mythical tribe of Welsh speaking Native Americans. Gruff will follow the path of John Evans using film, the written word, photo-story, social media and song to create an investigative road movie and album.

John Evans - a 22-year old farmhand from the mountains of Snowdonia, Wales - responded to a plea for a brave soul to ascertain if there was indeed a tribe of Welsh-speaking Native Americans still walking the Great Plains, descendants of Prince Madog (widely believed to have discovered America in 1170). During the course of an extraordinary adventure, Evans wrestled the largest river reptiles ever seen in the Mississippi, hunted Bison with the Omaha tribe, defected to the Spanish in St Louis, discovered imaginary volcanoes in Missouri, annexed North Dakota from the British, and created the map that guided Lewis and Clarke on their legendary expedition. His adventure was cut short when he died broke and out of his mind at 29 in New Orleans.

Gruff's investigative concert tour will begin at Yale's Beineke Library where John Evans' famous map is said to reside. From there Rhys will follow in his relative's footsteps as he investigates Evans's significance in American history, the true circumstances of his death and the secret location of his burial. Simultaneously he explores how the myths that surround cultural identity are formed and distorted, and how well meaning adventure and beliefs can result in painful colonialism, misadventure and tragedy.

You can join Gruff in securing John Evans rightful place in American history! Gruff urges anyone with clues regarding Evans's unknown burial place; imaginary volcanos; wandering tribes of Welsh Speakers, or lingering river reptiles to come to the shows, where your help with his investigations will be appreciated and featured in the movie.

Join the Investigative Concert Tour!
show less

Club Cafe is proud to host folk-rock singer Nevin James as he kicks off his fall tour in his native city of Pittsburgh. Nevin has lived in Malibu, California for the last 5 years. While in California, he completed his studies at Pepperdine University, landed a competitive TV spot on BRAVO's "Platinum Hit", and authored a Rock Opera which visited major cities on both coasts last year. Having just released his debut album "Jealousy" in the spring, he is coming back east to finish writing his second album this fall, and while here, he will be playing shows in a number of east coast cities accompanied by his faithful band of merry musicians. show less