Buck the stars, drink coffee

Buck the Stars

Various Artists

Mondays 8 p.m.

Starbucks

2345 Murray Ave.

Squirrel Hill… Buck the Stars

Various Artists

Mondays 8 p.m.

Starbucks

2345 Murray Ave.

Squirrel Hill

Free

For most of the week, the Starbucks in Squirrel Hill simply resembles any other of the ubiquitous coffee shop’s chains – hot beverages with fancy names, muffins and pastries with crumbly toppings and lots of seating to accommodate patrons as they nibble their nosh. Every Monday, however, the Murray Avenue shop offers something different as musicians – most of them local performers – mix up Starbucks for Buck the Stars, an acoustic music series geared toward emerging musicians.

Buck the Stars began two years ago with local singer-songwriter Brad Yoder’s desire to create “a small something for local musicians” in Pittsburgh. Having moved to the city himself eight years earlier, Yoder knew the difficulties faced by musicians trying to find places to play, noting that, “Pittsburgh lacked a place where people starting out could perform without a lot at stake; where they didn’t have to worry about being criticized for playing too much original material, or not enough.”

“I look at people who are me 10 years ago,” Yoder said. “These people should have a place where they don’t have to sell tickets or pay to play.” Buck the Stars provides that place. The intimate coffee shop setting makes for a laid-back feel, permitting the performers to chat with the audience before, after and even during their performances.

According to Yoder, the choice of holding the performances at the Squirrel Hill Starbucks came down to location (though the opportunity for the slick play on the venue’s name seems a pretty good reason). It may not be a small, independently run shop, but as Yoder noted, “It’s near where the students live.” By having the shows near students, it encourages them to get out and discover some of the talented musicians who live in their neighborhood or attend their school. For those not arriving on foot, the Murray Avenue Starbucks offers ample parking space, something else Yoder noted as a benefit of the location.

Today, Buck the Stars boasts a respectably sized weekly audience and a list of musicians wanting to perform. Yoder and Buck the Stars receives many inquires and samples from artists just starting out, as well as requests from well-known names. Many come back after they have found their musical legs and established themselves because of the casual, intimate atmosphere and free venue. Yoder himself makes regular appearances about once a month.

In addition to the value of the experience of performing before a live audience, Buck the Stars also offers the musicians a chance to sell some of their CDs and merchandise and pick up a few tips from coffee shop patrons. They also receive a free beverage from Starbucks. According to Yoder, Buck the Stars had originally negotiated a free muffin in addition to the coffee, but that offer was rescinded by Starbucks soon after Buck the Stars was established. It can only be speculated that this complimentary baked good policy was pushing Starbucks into the red.

Muffin or not, Buck the Stars affords Pittsburgh artists a unique opportunity and helps get the word out about upcoming musicians in the area. It gives patrons the chance to hear live music and the knowledge that they are supporting local talent. It is Yoder’s wish, and surely the wish of many others, that someday there may be more places in Pittsburgh that would be open to new musicians and would give concerts everyday. Until that day comes, though, the place to be on Mondays is Starbucks, or to put it better, Buck the Stars.

For more information about Buck the Stars and the musicians who perform there visit www.myspace.com/buckthestars. Information about Brad Yoder can also be found at www.BradYoder.com.