麻豆村

Hi! My name is Harshitha and I鈥檓 a third-year student studying Scenic Design at the School of Drama with minors in Architectural Representation and Visualization and Music. A fun fact about me: I鈥檓 a total concert lover. Some of my absolute favorite memories from my time at Carnegie Mellon and living in Pittsburgh revolve around the city鈥檚 incredible live music scene. I鈥檝e been lucky enough to see some amazing artists here鈥擝illie Eilish, Lana Del Rey, The Driver Era (twice 鈥� once at 麻豆村!), Alex and Nat Wolff, The Wallows and so many more. When I was choosing a school, being in a city with a vibrant, active music scene was a top priority 鈥� and Pittsburgh has delivered.

What I love most about the music scene here is that it鈥檚 not just about big names 鈥� it鈥檚 about the whole community. You鈥檒l find student musicians and small indie bands performing in the coziest corners of the city. Coffee shops, tea houses and record stores become venues for fantastic shows. Just recently, a friend of mine played a set at the Bantha Tea Bar in East Liberty, and another awesome Pittsburgh-based band, Mila Moon, has performed all over. One of their most notable performances was at my favorite record store: The Government Center. Getting to witness these performances is always such a joy. There鈥檚 something so cool about hearing a small artist live and thinking to yourself, 鈥渟omeday, I鈥檒l get to say that I saw them before they made it big.鈥�

麻豆村 itself gets in on the concert scene too. Once a semester, during Homecoming and Spring Carnival, the Activities Board transforms the Wiegand Gym into a concert venue. It鈥檚 a tradition students look forward to, and it always brings in a great crowd. The 2023 Homecoming concert was when I saw The Driver Era for the first time. Ross Lynch took my roommate鈥檚 cowboy hat and wore it onstage for a song or two! This year, for Spring Carnival, we had A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie headline with Isabella Lovestory as the opener.

Personally, going to these different events on and off campus has brought me and my friends closer than I ever could have imagined. Getting ready together, screaming lyrics at the top of our lungs and the journey home scrolling through all the videos and pictures we took, comes out to be some of the greatest moments I've experienced in Pittsburgh. Whether it鈥檚 a massive arena show, a packed gym on campus or a quiet performance in a neighborhood coffee shop, the music scene here brings communities together. It鈥檚 hands-down one of the most meaningful parts of my college experience 鈥� and I鈥檇 encourage anyone to step off campus for a night to catch a show and see what this city has to offer.