Hey there! I’ve got two (completely unrelated) things to bring to your attention today, both of which might interest you if you live in or around the Pittsburgh area, and one of which might still interest you if you are in any of several other areas throughout the eastern or central United States.

First up:

 

 

ABA‘s Pittsburgh Community Weekend

20 & 21 September, 2025

Join the American Birding Association for a fun weekend of birding in and around Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania!

On Sat. morning, Sept. 20, we will bird together at Hartwood Acres Park where we will explore the trails around the estate buildings, meadows, and mature woodland areas. In the afternoon, we head over to Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve for two presentations, one by Brian Shema and the other by Nick Stahlman, hosted by the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania. In the evening, come down into the city and join us at East End Brewing for a little urban birding and socializing over pizza and local drinks on their outdoor patio.

On Sun. morning, Sept. 21, we will visit Frick Park, one of the area’s top birding locations, to look for fall migrants. Later we will gather at the Frick Environmental Center for a fun presentation by Mike Fialkovich, president of the Three Rivers Birding Club.

All bird walks, talks, and workshops are free and open to the public (with cash bar/food during the evening social), but registration is mandatory. The ABA’s bird-friendly SongBird Coffee will be served before and after each bird walk and presentation.

We are grateful for the support of Vortex Optics, who are providing a variety of excellent Vortex binoculars for participants to use during our field trips. There are limited binoculars available for loan, and we will distribute them on a first come first served basis, so sharing might be needed and appreciated.

Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to connect with fellow bird enthusiasts and enhance your birding skills. Sign up now and join us for an unforgettable weekend!

 

All of the locations listed here are local hotspots for bird activity — especially Frick which has been buzzing with reports of migrating warblers and flycatchers over the past few weeks. As stated above, all of this weekend’s events are FREE, you just have to sign up here. I’ve been looking forward to this ever since the ABA first announced it early this year, and I hope to run into some friendly faces over the two-day gathering!

 

* * * * *

 

and next:

 

 

Xoth – “Exogalactic Actuality” Tour 2025

 

Seattle-based power-infused death-thrash futurists Xoth rise to proclaim the Exogalactic Actuality Tour, with support from Cleveland’s cosmic death dealers, Inoculation! This marks Xoth‘s first full-scale incursion into the uncharted territories of the Midwest and East Coast.

The conquest begins September 17th in the frostbitten lands of Fargo, ND, and culminates October 5th in the mile-high stronghold of Denver, CO.

Armed with the otherworldly arsenal of their acclaimed opus, Exogalactic – a record hailed for its labyrinthine precision and galactic vision – Xoth beckons all mortals to bear witness as the veil between realms is torn asunder.

Full itinerary:

Wed 9/17 – Fargo, ND – The Aquarium
Thu 9/18 – Minneapolis, MN – Underground Music Venue
Fri 9/19 – Portage, WI – Studio 301
Sat 9/20 – Chicago, IL – Reggies
Sun 9/21 – Detroit, MI – Sanctuary
Mon 9/22 – Youngstown, OH – Westside Bowl
Tue 9/23 – Pittsburgh, PA – Green Beacon Gallery
Wed 9/24 – Washington D.C. – Pie Shop
Thu 9/25 – Brooklyn, NY – The Wood Shop
Fri 9/26 – Cambridge, MA – Middle East
Sat 9/27 – Philadelphia, PA – Kung Fu Necktie
Sun 9/28 – Harrisonburg, VA – Golden Pony
Mon 9/29 – Charlotte, NC – The Milestong
Tue 9/30 – Atlanta, GA – Boggs Social & Supply
Wed 10/1 – Nashville, TN – Cobra Nashville
Thu 10/2 – Indianapolis, IN – Black Circle
Fri 10/3 – St. Louis, MO – Moshmellow
Sat 10/4 – Kansas City, MO – Minibar
Sun 10/5 – Denver, CO – Hi-Dive

 

 
For ticketing information, updates, and additional live dates, visit beholdxoth.com.

 

Xoth are kicking off their tour tomorrow night (Wednesday the 17th) as they continue to celebrate their third full-length Exogalactic, released nearly two years ago, and their journeys will bring them here to Pittsburgh (well really, Greensburg, in the next county over) just a few days later.

I hadn’t heard about the band or their record when it first came out; it only came onto my radar recently when this new tour news was announced, but I’ve taken it for several spins since then and can highly recommend it to all fans of technically-oriented thrash, or thrash in general. Possibly tech-death fans as well, since these songs are filled with death-growl style vocals, although (longtime readers may have noticed) I personally tend not to dig on tech-death that much, since it usually sounds so lifeless and devoid of any personality — but you’ll find none of that here. In any case, feel free to judge for yourself, and then scope out that list of tourdates to find the one nearest you.

 

 

You can check out the album using the Bandcamp player below, and if you aren’t able to catch them on the road, you can find Exogalactic in various physical formats here or digitally right here.
 

 

* * * * *

 

American Birding Association: website | Community network | BSKY | YouTube
 
Xoth: Bandcamp | BSKY | YouTube
Green Beacon Gallery: website | events calendar