Sunnyhill Live! Concerts
The Early Mays with Nicole Myers
Friday, February 20th, 7:30pm
Somewhere on the border between old-time music and modern American songwriting, The Early Mays have built a sound with harmonies that feel like home—and we are delighted to welcome them for an evening of beautifully crafted music. For more than ten years, their partnership has carried slow-burning, perfectly paired vocals from NPR’s Mountain Stage to house concerts across the mid-Atlantic. When Ellen Gozion and Emily Pinkerton first crossed paths in Pittsburgh, they recognized an immediate resonance in their styles: an inviting, understated stage presence, a shared love of ballads and banjo tunes, and a commitment to putting their voices in service of the song itself.
Together, The Early Mays have released five albums, most recently Prettiest Blue, the follow-up to Chase the Sun—the #1 album on the National Folk-DJ Charts in August 2017—and a culmination of their 1st-place finish in the Neo-Traditional Competition at the Appalachian String Band Music Festival. Joining them for this concert is cellist Nicole Myers, whose sweeping melodic lines deepen the warmth and texture of the Early Mays’ sound. Well-versed in both classical and alternative styles, Nicole is a founding member of Cello Fury, a progressive rock/classical fusion ensemble, and serves as the director of the Pittsburgh Cello Fest. Her artistry adds a luminous dimension to the Mays’ intricate arrangements.
“Our songs give people a place to slow down,” Ellen reflects. Their music rewards deep listening—an ethos drawn from their roots in the old-time community—where meaning unfolds each time a tune is revisited, or a field recording heard anew. The duo gravitates toward acoustically resonant spaces, sculpting immersive sound with just a touch of amplification.
Join us for an intimate evening of close harmonies, rich acoustic textures, and songs shaped with rare care and craftsmanship.
Tickets HERE!
$15 Adult/ $10 Student (plus $1 transaction fee) online until noon on Friday, February 20th;
$20 Adult/ $15 Student at the door (credit card processing fees apply).
The Sunnyhill Live! Team is excited to, once again, partner with local artist, Christopher Mark Jones, to program a wonderful lineup for the 2025-26 concert series, bringing you some of the best local music Pittsburgh has to offer as well as thoughtfully curated acts from afar!
Friday, September 26th, 2025 @7:30pm – Bertha & the Belles
Bertha and the Belles is an acoustic quartet featuring the powerful singing of Pam Hawley, the remarkable fiddling of Alice Backer, the lovely, rootsy vocals of Annie Trimble, AND some of the best duet and trio vocal harmony around. In addition, the powerful rhythm section of Annie’s guitar, Pam’s banjo uke, and “Bertha” — Richard Gordon’s bass — provides a solid backdrop for an exciting mixture of country, swing, spiritual, old-time, and other folk music.
https://www.berthaandthebelles.com/
Friday, October 24th, 2025 @7:30pm – Eli Lev: Past Lives Tour
Eli Lev is a globally-minded folk-pop artist based in Silver Spring, Maryland. With a background in education and world travel, he brings storytelling, cultural connection, and heartfelt lyricism into every performance. Lev’s blend of folk, Americana, and singer-songwriter sensibility has earned him international acclaim and a devoted fanbase. Known for his Four Directions series and his innovative Three Worlds Project, Eli continues to build a bridge between personal truth and universal experience, one song at a time.
https://eli-lev.com/
Friday, November 21st, 2025 @7:30pm – Jenna Nicholls
Hailing from the small town of Irwin, PA near Pittsburgh, after college Jenna set her sights east to test her wings as a songwriter and performer. Initially trying Boston, she ultimately gravitated to the creative hotbed of Manhattan’s Lower East Side forging lasting friendships with other like-minded artists and musicians. Nicholls’s music reveals a restless muse and a love of vintage music – anything from classic music films like “Singin’ in the Rain” to Bessie Smith.
https://jennanicholls.com/
Friday, February 20th, 2026 @7:30pm – The Early Mays with Nicole Myers (Buy Tickets)
Emily Pinkerton and Ellen Gozion sing Appalachian-inspired songs over a lush accompaniment of fiddle, banjo, guitar and harmonium. Based in Pittsburgh and Albany, they work with a close circle of collaborators, bringing warm, intimate performances to venues large and small. Emily and Ellen will be joined by one of their collaborators, Nicole Myers. Well-versed in both classical and alternative styles, Nicole is a founding member of Cello Fury, a progressive rock/classical fusion ensemble, and is the director of the Pittsburgh Cello Fest.
https://theearlymays.com/
Friday, March 20th, 2026 @7:30pm – Brad Yoder, Julianna Warner, & Cody Piper
Pittsburgh-based singer-songwriter Brad Yoder has been writing and performing original songs for over 30 years. Brad was a 2023 and 2021 Kerrville New Folk Finalist, a 2018 Wildflower Arts Fest finalist, and former 5-time Pittsburgh City Paper “Best Acoustic/Solo Artist.” His songs have appeared on network TV, in a museum exhibit, and were once laser-engraved onto a TV tray. Brad also plays saxophones (and occasionally glockenspiel.) https://bradyoder.com/
Originally from Tucker County, WV, Pittsburgh- based singer-songwriter Julianna Warner combines honest lyrics and soothing melodies that are brimming with artful sincerity. In her songwriting, she draws on both adult life experience as well as memories from her childhood growing up in the woods along the Dry Fork River. Her choice of banjo or guitar enhances the listener’s experience of the stories she tells and the melodies she weaves. https://www.instagram.com/juliannawarnermusic/?hl=en
Cody Piper is a solo singer-songwriter who crafts tuneful, introspective songs that are rich in harmony and concise in structure. Also a producer and multi-instrumentalist, Piper has released a catalogue of music with full control of the recording process – creating indie arrangements that are often driven by pounding keyboards, meandering basslines, and dense vocal stacks. As a solo performer, Piper reduces his arrangements into a more intimate, keyboard-based setting, but still captures the high energy that emanates from the core of his songwriting. https://www.codypipermedia.com/
Friday, April 17th, 2026 @7:30pm – Christopher Mark Jones and The Roots Ensemble
Christopher Mark Jones draws from folk, country, blues, jazz and r ’n b sources to stage his literate folk rock meditations. The Roots Ensemble is his full-band performance group in Southwestern Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio. Members include Dave Gillespie (electric and acoustic guitars and vocals), Christopher’s cousin and a superb multi-instrumentalist, singer and writer in his own right, Eric George (drums and percussion) the house drummer and music director for Acousticafé at Mr. Small’s Funhouse, as well as a frequent session musician, and Mark Perna (fretless electric and upright bass), a Pittsburgh jazz scene regular who played with Richie Cole for many years.
https://christophermarkjones.com/home
About Sunnyhill Live!
Sunnyhill Live! is our arts series that features the best in live music, film and theater in a casual, comfortable, and intimate setting.
Mission Statement
The goal of Sunnyhill Live! is the enhancement of congregational life at the Unitarian Universalist Church of the South Hills through the presentation of diverse, high-quality cultural arts performances.
Objectives
- To encourage fellowship for church members and community by providing a non-smoking, family-friendly cultural arts environment;
- To enhance the visibility and presence of the church in the community;
- To create a financially successful operation whose proceeds will be used to support the mission of the church.
Please email Mary Pratt (musicdirector@sunnyhill.org) if you’d like to be added to the Sunnyhill Live! email list; you’ll be the first to be notified of upcoming events and ticket availability!
