Pittsburgh-area music venues have taken body blows in recent years — much like they did in 2005, it seems, when writer Dan Eldridge dug into the grit, passion, and precarious economics behind one of the region’s then-newest venues: Mr. Smalls.
The years since have thrown a lot at venues like Mr. Smalls. The Great Recession. Industry consolidation. Personal struggle and tough decisions. COVID-19. Still, two decades on, and Mr. Smalls has not just survived, but thrived. The venue recently added an expansion called The Sanctuary and continues to host a diverse roster of acts and events, including Pittsburgh City Paper’s Best of PGH party and Karaoke Kabaret earlier this year.
As other venues have shuttered, passionate locals have taken up the mantle Mr. Smalls’ Mike Speranzo and Liz Berlin donned in the early ’90s (City Paper’s 2025 People of the Year in Music spring to mind).
“There’s a fundamental faith in this,” Speranzo told Eldridge at the time. “This is my house. This is my son. My friends, my family, my whole life — everything I’ve worked for up to this point.” It’s that fundamental faith that’s kept Pittsburgh venues going despite narrow margins and long odds in 2025. As a revisiting of Eldridge’s piece proves, what worked then mostly works now: keeping your focus local and your customers happy.
Read the full story, originally printed Jan. 12, 2005, below.
This article appears in The Big Winter Issue: Winter Guide/People of the Year.
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