What is PSST!

PSST! (People’s Song SocieTea) is a new monthly, curated salon where artists share music, poetry, and other short works inspired by current events and social questions.

Each performer presents one piece (or small set, if poetry) and takes a few minutes beforehand to introduce the issue, headline, or lived experience that sparked it. The goal is not perfection, but passion, curiosity, and dialogue. We gather to listen, to learn, and to reflect together.

 Last Thursday of every month
 Bantha Tea Bar (Garfield)
 7–9 PM (tea & community, conversation encouraged)
~ Formal program concludes by 9; the room remains open for continued conversation.

PSST! is a curated space (not an open mic).
Free to attend. Donations welcome.
Follow @psst.pgh on Instagram & Facebook for updates.

Come listen. Come think. Come be in the room.

HOW PSST! STARTED

PSST! was born from a question that arose during Erika June Christina Laing’s 2023 educational trip through the South with Classrooms Without Borders. On the “Marching Down Freedom’s Road” (MDFR) journey, Erika visited historic sites, museums, and met Civil Rights heroes. She began the trip asking herself, “What can I do?” – and by the end, that question had transformed into “What canI do?” She noted during the trip that music and the arts were pivotal and powerful forces for change in the Civil Rights movement, and indeed in most social movements. As a local Pittsburgh musician, Erika realized that a simple, tangible way she could contribute was through her own songs and by creating a space where other artists could also express themselves, while providing the encouragement and organization to make it happen.

That spark became PSST!, a curated, community-centered salon where artists share songs, poetry, and other short works inspired by current events, followed by conversation. After years of planning and with the enthusiastic support of local artists and Bantha Tea Bar, PSST! launched in 2026 – at a moment when connection, reflection, and creative expression are more important than ever.

PSST! is not just a place to experience music and poetry – it’s a space to find kinship, dialogue, and inspiration. Join us every last Thursday of the month at Bantha Tea Bar and be part of the conversation.