DNA’s First Acoustic Tuesdays: A Huge Success!
Written by Arlo Grey MacFarland
Last Tuesday, October 7, 2025, The Downtown Neighbors Alliance (DNA) kicked off our first weekly Acoustic Tuesdays concert featuring Ellen Perkins and Sarah Fair. The two singer-songwriters filled the evening with beautiful music for a lovely crowd.
Despite the rainy weather, Liberty Magic was illuminated with life. The venue evoked curiosity and mystique, filled with art and oddities and magicians’ props. A mannequin of Harry Houdini locked in a tank looks out the front window, as this was the spot where Houdini performed his escape tricks to Pittsburghers in 1916.
Once checked in, you pass through a curtain leading to the fortune-telling game Zoltar, and into a waiting room full of eclectic decor, namely, the taxidermy. Bugs and bats and even a snake were present, adding to the mystique of the venue. Beyond that room is the stage itself, alongside just 66 seats made for an intimate, up-close performance.
With just a keyboard, a microphone, and a speaker, Ellen Perkins took the stage. Her soulful voice paired with her passionate piano playing harmonized into something like a Carly Simon performance. With a mix of covers and originals, Perkins delivered a wonderful set for the audience. At the end, she covered a song called “My Best Friend,” and she dedicated it to the other performer Sarah Fair. The two have an extensive history going back to college.
“I really enjoyed the song about her friend, and that [Sarah] was there. I found it very sweet and personal that they were doing this first show together,” said Amanda Yu, an Event Planner at DNA.
Sarah brought a different, but equally melodious set. Having originally planned to perform a set of covers, Fair decided she’d switch it up and play more of her own songs. Her melancholic lyrics put to dramatic melodies forced the listener to feel with her, and it really was something special.
The ability to deliver that level of emotional resonance is the whole reason musicians make the art they do. Putting complex thoughts into understandable words is a true talent, and both Fair and Perkins executed it perfectly.
“It felt like I was in New York again. Even the weather didn't deter people from coming to the concert. In a venue holding 66 people, and pulling a crowd just under 50 when the weather was that bad, shows the potential of this event,” said Executive Director John Valentine.
“Between the great performances and the intimacy of the venue this is another amenity for the residents and workforce of Downtown Pittsburgh. Tuesday night hit all the goals in regard to what we envisioned. The next step for us is consistency” added Mr. Valentine.
Coming up next, on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, is indie artist Oliver Hufford and singer-songwriter Megan Paullet! To reserve a spot for an upcoming Acoustic Tuesdays concert, visit this link.
