Amy Constantine Kline sells tickets.
The Dormont resident has worked for venues, arts organizations and ticketing companies for years, carving out a profession in the music business each step of the way.
But that came to a sudden halt in 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered music venues around the world — and there were no tickets to sell. The solution? As the spring of 2021 arrived, Kline and her partner, Stefan Flower, started a backyard concert series that has since spawned The Parking Pad, a concert and community promotion business that this weekend brings its second show to Dormont’s restored Hollywood Theater.
“When we started, we just wanted to have a couple house parties for friends, but we wanted them to be outdoors.” Kline said. “That it’s turned into a business wasn’t really something we planned on.”
The initial idea was simple enough: Using connections they’d gathered from Kline’s jobs and the couple’s music fandom, they booked some local bands to play for the backyard parties planned. Eventually, their makeshift venue came to be known as The Parking Pad, because the elevated parking pad behind the yard was the perfect place for the acts to set up.
“There was no PA at the start and barely any lights for the yard,” said Flower, a process engineer. “We weren’t thinking about that — it was just, ‘The weather’s starting to get nice, so let’s have some fun.’”
About 60 people showed up for that first show, enough that Flower spent the entire evening grilling hamburgers for guests. The successes continued though the summer of 2021, and Kline and Flower made tweaks along the way, such as opting to smoke brisket or chicken prior to the shows rather than grilling all night — and upgrading the concert experience as well.
That year’s first act was Pittsburgh funk outfit Big Fat Mallard, and the show marked a turning point for the Pad.
“The band was huge, and they brought a ton of stuff along,” Kline said. “That was our first show with lights, and with all of the electronics they had.”
Big Fat Mallard was around for the next big leaps for The Parking Pad — its first nonpad show and its first as an actual company. The venue was the Hollywood Theater, and Big Fat Mallard shared the bill with The Sun Champs for the early December concert. As for the company, Kline said she and Flower had been discussing what they should do to limit their exposure to financial losses.
“It was things like what had to happen if we’re renting a hall,” Flower said of the decision to turn The Parking Pad into an LLC. “You know, ‘Oh, right, companies have to have insurance,’ and stuff like that.”
The first Hollywood show brought partnerships with the Dormont Community Development Corp. and Moonlit Burgers, both of which will continue for Saturday’s Hollywood Theater show. But they’re not the only businesses to benefit; Kline said one of her goals is to spread the wealth and rope in as many local businesses as possible. On Saturday, that will include artists, food from Taqueria Acosta and beer from Back Alley Brewing Co.
“For the Hollywood shows, we have the space, so we try to find all the partnerships with businesses and nonprofits we can,” she said. “It really makes it a community event as well as a concert.”
That first Hollywood date was also the first show that served as more than a concert, raising money for Ukrainian war relief. Saturday’s show will benefit the DCDC and the Dormont Free Pantry, Kline said.
This weekend’s show, the first of three the Pad will host at the Hollywood this year, features SamJamwich, a recently formed Pittsburgh jam band with a Grateful Dead focus. The Dead won’t, however, be the only music on the setlist; the show is titled “The Dead Side of the Peach,” which promises appearances by Pink Floyd and Allman Brothers Band songs as well.
“We do pretty well with the Dead’s stuff, but we know that Pittsburgh loves its Pink Floyd and its Allman Brothers as well,” said Pat Lanpis, the SamJamwich’s bass player. “I love Pink Floyd and the Allman Brothers, and we thought it would be a good chance to mix things up a little bit.”
Lanpis said his band is itching to play the Hollywood — and he credits the Pad with making it happen.
“We’re trying to elevate ourselves a little bit, and not be just a bar band,” he said. “This is a big step in that direction. It’s a special place.”
Even as The Parking Pad elevates itself into larger venues and events, it’s not leaving behind its roots on the concrete slab behind the Hillsdale Avenue apartment building. Kline said its 2023 season is already booked.
“The production values have changed a lot, and I think the bands notice that,” she said. “But we’re really just still throwing a yard party.”
Tickets for Saturday’s SamJamwich concert at the Hollywood Theater, 1449 Potomac Ave. in Dormont, are available at parkingpad.eventbrite.com.
