Eli Lev: Past Lives Tour

Friday, October 24th, 7:30pm 

Independent folk-pop artist Eli Lev invites you to celebrate the release of his new album Past Lives, the second installment in his transformative Three Worlds Project. Following the acclaimed debut Present Journey, this powerful new record bridges the space between memory and melody, bringing the actual voices of Eli’s ancestors to life on stage.

Past Lives is more than just an album—it’s an oral history in song. Each track is interwoven with recordings of Eli’s own relatives, whose vivid recollections provide a living heartbeat to the music. Audiences will hear Bubbe Sarah describe her 1892 birth in Poland, Uncle Ben share stories of farm life and mill work in the American South, and Aunt Evelyn offer reflections that are at once personal and universal.

In concert, these voices rise alongside Eli’s heartfelt performances, creating a deeply moving experience where stories of migration, resilience, love, and identity echo across generations. Songs like “Where We Come From” honor his Jewish and Appalachian roots, “Who I Was” dissolves the borders of time and identity, and the emotional centerpiece “Our Friends” comforts and uplifts by honoring those who have passed, reminding us they are still with us in spirit.

With his blend of folk, Americana, and singer-songwriter sensibility, Eli Lev has earned international acclaim for turning personal truth into universal connection. With a background in education and world travel, he brings storytelling, cultural connection, and heartfelt lyricism into every performance. The Past Lives tour brings this vision to life, inviting audiences to step into a shared story of family, memory, and transformation.

Tickets HERE! 

$15 Adult/ $10 Student (plus $1 transaction fee) online until noon on Friday, October 24th;

$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 (Buy Tickets)

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 Nichols (Buy Tickets)

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 

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.

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!