Sphinx Cafe

posted by MikeS

The Sphinx Café

401 Atwood St.

Oakland, Pa           

Admission:  $3 Any Night

            $5 For Musical Acts                       

            The Sphinx Café is an entirely different venue for viewing live performances.  The building itself has been repurposed from a church into a hookah bar, and sitting at the front of the interior is a small raised stage, once the altar.  The café itself seats only fifty to sixty customers, primarily on pillows situated on the floor.  In addition, it features balcony VIP seating for one dollar.

Pittsburgh:Churches, Bars, and Bars that used to Churches

           

On a typical night, when no one is performing, the price at the door is three bucks.  There is an additional one-drink minimum, but in addition to water and Egyptian coffee, The Sphinx offers surprisingly high quality milkshakes.  More importantly, the café regularly features comedians and musical acts, and boots the cost of admission to five dollars.  The musicians range in variety from punk and funk, to reggae and world music.  

This is NOT a picture of Sphinx Cafe. IT IS however a hookah. 

That being said, the size of the venue cuts heavily into the prominence of the artists who perform there, which are typically restricted to ultra-local artists.  While the extra two dollars may not seem like much of a price increase, the quality of the bands themselves is often not worth the extra cash.  The sound system typically plays Egyptian music, and lacks quality as a result. 

            The café itself may be a nice place to spend and evening with friends, but unless the bands are friends as well, The Sphinx could be avoided for live music.