Mr Roboto Project   

"For the kids, by the kids" is the motto of this cooperative for Pittsburgh's punk community -- home to concerts, an art gallery and a 'zine library. The $25 membership fee (with $10 renewals) not only gets you $1 discounts on concert cover charges, but also gives you a say in the Project's future at monthly meetings. The musical menu includes such punk, hardcore and indie bands as Spirit of the Stairway, Warzone Womyn, Brain Handle and Suburban Death Machine. While the music may have a jagged, do-it-yourself feel, the scene here is strictly straight-edge: no smoking and no drinking. (You'll usually find free coffee and tea, though.) The space, about three blocks off Wilkinsburg's main thoroughfare, has been a creative outlet since November 1999, and judging from its packed slate these days, you can bet those creative juices will be flowing for long time.