Waiting For The Bus At Pittsburgh’s Smallest Jazz Club

Waiting for the bus… Almost everyone has to deal with it sometimes, and most of us would argue that it’s a waste of time. Different initiatives have tried to make waiting at a bus stop a little more fun, such as these bus stops in Chili that were transformed into football goals during the Copa América last summer. However, despite sitting in a football goal, you are still bored to death while waiting for the bus to finally show up.

This initiative from Pittsburgh may soon take away our daily irritations. A new bus stop located at 9th Street and Liberty Avenue has been turned into the city’s smallest jazz club. Whether you’re a big fan or not, once you step in this bus shelter, jazz is what you will hear. The speakers installed in the bus stop play the beats from the non-profit Manchester Craftmen’s Guild (MCG Jazz) in crystal quality, making you wanna move your feet uncontrollably. With the support of one of Awesome Pittsburgh’s $1000 fundings, waiting for the bus may have gotten a new meaning. This is not your ordinary bus stop: rather, this is Pittsburgh’s Smallest Jazz Club. Next to the funky-fresh beats, the shelter is decorated with images of musicians caught in the heat of the musical moment.

Besides entertaining commuters and making the wait a little more fun, the bus stop has as its larger goal to promote jazz as Pittsburgh’s greatest art export. This makes one wonder about the commercial and creative possibilities that bus stops offer in terms of advertising. By moving away from the standardized 2D print-adverstisements bus stops usually provide, Pittsburgh’s Smallest Jazz Club shows us what’s possible in terms of advertising these days. Again, it also just makes us break through our hasty lives and daily annoyances, allowing for a little relaxation. In that sense, Dave Brubeck’s all-time jazz classic Take Five would be spot on, embodying the power of cultural and artistic experimentation.