When the Steel City paused: Pittsburgh’s metal scene confronts COVID-19

This article discusses the COVID-19 pandemic in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and how the city’s metal scene confronted the struggle without live music. As fans and bands were forced to stay at home, how was the local music industry affected? This article addresses the toll the silence had on a scene that thrived under the rubrics of personal and social bonds, as well as an industry that relied on live spaces and performances. Further, this article examines the benefits of live-streaming concerts and asks if there is a future for a metal scene that simultaneously exists in both live spaces and virtually.