Ths Shadow Lounge
Couches.
Carpeting. Candles. In the beginning, that's what I used to tell people as a
brief synopsis of what to expect upon entering the aptly named Shadow Lounge.
Today, the Shadow Lounge has developed into much more - from French-pressed
coffee and espresso to ginger beer, from Fantasia smoothies to oatmeal cookies
the size of your head - Justin Strong is turning his "urban coffee /tea
performance lounge and gallery" into a multi-faceted enterprise that appeals to
far more than your taste-buds. If you're a fan of performance art in the form of
live music and poetry, or if you want to check out the latest issue of "Fader"
while listening to Common, even if you're looking for a laid-back spot to grab a
Vitamin Water and finish your English paper, the Shadow Lounge is the perfect
setting.
When it first opened in 2000, the Shadow Lounge looked like your hip cousin's
basement. Strategically placed cozy chairs, coffee tables strewn with magazines
capturing urban culture, chess and a few other board games (anyone else miss the
pool table?) and a well-placed stage/performance area. Justin wanted to offer
Pittsburgh's happening, party-hopping hipsters a refuge from the (cigarette)
smoke and (funhouse) mirror environment of most bars and nightclubs. The Shadow
Lounge opened its doors late-night on weekends - one could stumble in and
mingle, or simply flop on a sofa and cool down to the sounds of jazz, hip-hop,
or rhythm & blues.
Justin also began booking local acts such as the Akil Esoon Quintet (now more or
less "Beam"), Soma Mestizo, the Pittsburgh Poetry Slam, DJ Centauri, and a few
out-of-town performers like Dap Theory, Ray Keith, MKL, Moonstarr and Daniel Wang. He also held local art openings, and began regularly displaying artist's creations on his walls as a perfect compliment to the Lounge's growing ambiance. In just its second year,
the Shadow Lounge already boasts being a venue for Element 5's "Momentum" and Ground Zero's "Flux" events, as well as regular installments of the "Hip-Hop cafe" (Weds., weekly),
"Versus" (Fri., weekly), "Jazz Satellite" (Sun. weekly), "the Andy Bianco Trio"
(Mon. weekly) and the Pittsburgh Poetry Slam (3rd Tues, monthly). Justin's also
been included in "Pittsburgh" Magazine's "40 Under 40" and he and the Shadow
Lounge have been featured in the Pittsburgh City Paper.
If you're wondering why the words "Shadow Lounge" are popping up more frequently
in everything you read about local events, there's a good reason. A place where
you can feel hip without the pretentiousness, much of the Shadow Lounge's
original "cozy" vibe remains. With the addition of the café, this "performance
lounge" provides the perfect spot for soaking in Pittsburgh's creative scene,
while allowing you to feel at home in doing so - which is just what Justin has
hoped to accomplish. Doors are now open at 8a.m. on weekdays, and he's recently
made the lounge BYOB (for a $2 corking fee). The Lounge is also available for
private booking on Saturdays, call for more info.
If you're one of the many who have "heard of it, just haven't gotten a chance to
stop by" - you're definitely missing out. In two short years, the Shadow Lounge
has become synonymous with Pittsburgh's urban artistic scene. So stop by -
Justin's often behind the counter (or behind the mic). Say hello - and make
yourself at home.
- DJ Brewer
Shadow Lounge events: www.7thmovement.net
Community + Cultural Info: www.elementfive.info