Pirates + Huey Lewis Skyblast

We attended our second Pittsburgh Pirates game yesterday (Saturday, June 11), a game against the New York Mets. This was a Pirates Skyblast night, with a concert (Huey Lewis & the News) and fireworks show following the game. Thanks to the beautiful weather, the Skyblast and the Pirates playing well this season, it was a sellout and the 3rd largest crowd ever at PNC Park.

We have a 10-game ticket plan in Section 120, down the left field line, which gives us a great view of the action.

A common theme when PNC park is talked about is the great view of downtown Pittsburgh from the stadium – no arguments from us!

Although the Pirates starter kept getting in trouble, the Pirates managed to hold a 3-2 lead going into the 9th inning thanks to timely doubles by Garrett Jones and Andrew McCutchen. With two outs, the crowd was on its feet in anticipation.

And when the final out was recorded, for a 3-2 Pirates victory, the fans erupted. The full house was evident, as it was the loudest we’ve heard PNC Park.

As soon as the game ended, grounds’ crew were quick to start setting up for the following Huey Lewis and the News concert.

Also, Pirates staff slingshot and “shirt-cannoned” dozens of free t-shirts into the crowd. It is always funny watching how people will act for something free. Soon, the lights went down and they showed a SNL skit (more cowbell!) on the scoreboard screen while the band prepped. Then Huey Lewis was into an enjoyable hour-long concert. Fireworks were sometimes during the band playing (video and pictures are with Tim’s phone – low quality and terrible at recording sound)…

and other times, the band took a break while only fireworks were shot off.

To end their set, the band played their hit Power of Love, from the Back to the Future movie, which everyone sang along to, and Workin’ for a Livin’. Tim’s only disappointment was that Back in Time wasn’t played. And then came the fireworks finale, which was awesome. After many fireworks shows over the years, we are a bit jaded, but this was very, very good. During the hour show, fireworks were set off from the river, the Clemente Bridge (viewable in downtown picture above next to scoreboard), from the tops of the two tall buildings in the fireworks picture above (really) and even from spots on the ballpark outfield behind the concert stage (seen at end of video above)! And during the finale they were all going at once – it was quite powerful (and loud). Kudos to the Pirates – what a show!