Brouhaha in Raleigh, NC

We wrapped up our tour of the Carolinas with a return to Raleigh, North Carolina, on May 18-19.

This was our third time performing at Artsplosure (Raleigh’s longest running arts festival) and our fifth visit to Raleigh over the years.

Raleigh is absolutely one of our most favorite cities to play in. In addition to performing Brouhaha, the festival asked us to bring our giant inflatable hands from Hand to Hand to be an art installation. 

Photos by FizzCats Photography, Coco Butter Shutter, and Squonk.

Announcing Brouhaha's Summer Tour Dates

We have a busy summer planned with Brouhaha. We’re kicking it off with three gigs in our home state of Pennsylvania! First up, we’ll be in New Kensington, PA, at Penn State for ARTificial Intelligence: Elevating Art Through AI.

Then we’ll travel to Bridgewater, PA, for their Boom on the Bridge event, Beaver County’s premier music, art, and fireworks festival at the iconic Veterans Bridge.

We’ll keep the fireworks going by performing at Pittsburgh’s 2024 Independence Day Celebration and Fireworks on July 4 at Point State Park.

In August, we’ll travel to Chautauqua, NY, to help the Chautauqua Institution celebrate its 150th anniversary.

Then we’re off to the Midwest for several days of performances at the Des Moines Performing Arts Center.

Our summer tour ends in Elgin, IL, where we’ll help Elgin Community College celebrate its 75th anniversary.

We hope you can join us for one of these free shows!

  • New Kensington, PA: June 21 at Penn State; Our free performance is at 6:30 p.m. in the Athletic Center Parking Lot prior to a Penn State fundraiser

  • Bridgewater, PA: June 29 at Boom on the Bridge; Performances at 3:30 and 6 p.m.

  • Pittsburgh, PA: July 4 at Point State Park; Performances at 5:15 and 7:15 p.m.

  • Chautauqua, NY: August 4 and 6 at Chautauqua Institution; Performances at 2:30 p.m. on August 4 and 7:30 p.m. on August 6

  • Des Moines, IA: August 9-11 at Des Moines Performing Arts; Performances at 6:30 p.m. on August 9, 10:00 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 6:30 PM on August 10, and 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on August 11  

  • Elgin, IL: August 16-18 at Elgin Community College Arts Center; Performances at 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. on August 16; 11 a.m., 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. on August 17; and 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on August 18 

Photo by Elise Coates. Graphic Design by David Wallace.

Squonk in the Neighborhood: Millvale, PA

Squonk Teaching Artists Tony and Lindsay took their rhythm workshop to the wonderful Millvale Community Library on March 16. They led music and movement games showing how rhythm plays a part in each of our lives.

Announcing Brouhaha's May 2024 Tour Dates

It’s almost time to take Brouhaha back on the road. We’re kicking off our 2024 tour in May in Columbus, Ohio, at the COSI Science Festival. It’s our second time performing at this hands-on science extravaganza.

Next, we’ll travel to Greenville, South Carolina, for the 20th anniversary of Artisphere, a three-day arts festival.

We’ll continue on to Columbia, South Carolina, where we’ll return to the Koger Center for the Arts for two days of performances.

Then we’ll be in North Carolina for Artsplosure. This is our third time performing at Raleigh’s original and longest-running arts festival.

We hope you can Squonk with us in one of these cities!

  • Columbus, Ohio: May 4 at the COSI Science Festival; Performances at noon and 2:30 p.m.

  • Greenville, South Carolina: May 10-12 at Artisphere; Performances at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. on May 10; noon, 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on May 11; and 2 and 4 p.m. on May 12

  • Columbia, South Carolina: May 15-16 at the Koger Center for the Arts; Performances at 6 p.m. on May 15 and 16

  • Raleigh, North Carolina: May 18-19 at Artsplosure; Performances at 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. on May 18, and at 1 and 3:30 p.m. on May 19

We're Hiring

Squonk is looking to hire a committed Touring Stage Technician/Performer. We have a full season ahead of us and are looking for someone to work every gig August through October for this year, with possible long-term opportunities as well.

We are a Pittsburgh-based ensemble that The New York Times has called "a multimedia troupe of infinite jest with an imagination to match." Our current show, Brouhaha, is entering its first full season of touring. Squonk has performed across the U.S. and internationally, from Rhode Island to Texas, Lincoln Center to The Kennedy Center, China to Canada! To see photos and videos of Brouhaha, visit our show page.

We offer professional wages plus we cover all travel expenses, including per diem, hotel, and airfare. Average out-of-town runouts are 3-7 days. Additional work can include driving our 26-foot box truck, with a fellow Squonker, to our destinations.

This position is a cross between a performer/puppeteer and a technician.

You will need to be comfortable in front of an audience, as you will march in an opening parade with a giant spinning eye...

…play the giant bellows….

…invite the audience to join you…

…make the large-scale eyes dance in the finale…

And there’s much to do backstage as well, like working the giant horns.

You can see all of the action in our videos on our Brouhaha page.

Having basic technical skills is a plus. Every crew member has responsibilities with loading and unloading the truck and building and tearing down the set. As you can imagine, the position takes a certain level of physical agility, strength, and fitness. The job is very high-energy and requires a lot of running around and, since all performances are outdoors, you must be comfortable working in the heat and humidity at times.

This person needs to be sharp enough to run their position and know their cues in the half-hour shows without a stage manager’s assistance. The ideal candidate will participate in all the gigs in August through October.

Please reach out to Company Manager Caroline Babik at caroline@squonkopera.org with your resume and what interests you about this position and working with Squonk.

Squonk in the Neighborhood: Etna, PA

On March 9, our bassist Tony and performing tech Lindsay took on new roles as Squonk Teaching Artists. They led their first workshop at the Etna Pop-Up Library. Participants immersed themselves in how rhythm plays a part in each of our lives. A big thanks to the Etna Community Organization for arranging the event!

New Brouhaha Video: Stomp Horns

In our latest video, the Squonkers use some fancy footwork to coax a tune out of some air horns and then throw down with some agitated tubas. Check it out!

Thanks to … Director of Photography / Producer Luke Geissbühler, Camera Operator Leo Gallagher, and Camera Assistant Max Geissbühler for capturing some great moments and also to Editor Drew Kaufman for pulling it all together and to Warren Pryde for the Audio Mix.

Fun and Wacky Times in Colorado Springs

We wrapped up our 2023 touring season by playing Brouhaha at two Halloween parties at the Colorado Spring’s Community Cultural Collective’s City Auditorium.

We enjoyed entertaining some “little monsters” and their families during the Monster Mash Bash. Then we joined the festivities for the Coroner’s Aud Ball, hosted by real-life coroner Dr. Leon Kelly. Kelly donned the persona of a mad scientist who has drawn all the historic ghosts to the City Auditorium in an experiment gone wrong. Wild and wacky times!

Squonk in the Neighborhood Reaches 15,000

This year, our Squonk in the Neighborhood program included the debut performance of Brouhaha as well as the final local performances of Hand to Hand. Our outreach also included hands-on STEAM workshops, backstage tours, and interactive play with our 25-foot inflatable hands. All right here in our hometown of Pittsburgh.

  • 9 neighborhoods

  • 8 community partners

  • 24 events

  • 15,000 kids and adults

Brouhaha Photo: Heather Mull

Workshops and Events

Through our workshops and events, we reached the following Pittsburgh area neighborhoods:

  • Downtown

  • Garfield

  • Lawrenceville

  • New Kensington

  • North Shore

  • Sharpsburg

  • Vandergrift

  • Wilkingsburg

  • Wilmerding

We composed the music for Brouhaha in a studio at Westinghouse Arts Academy in Wilmerding, sharing our process with the students. 

Photos: Susan Wallace

And we brought our giant purple hands to the neighborhood during Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre's Open Air event at the school.

We brought our mixed media workshop to a camp for self-identifying girls, as well as trans and non-binary people, in 4th-8th grades through our continuing relationship with Assemble in Garfield.

Squonk's ongoing partnerships with Wilkinsburg organizations expanded to include the wonderful kids at the out-of-school program at Ethnan Temple Church, a relationship we hope to develop into the future.

“The OpenStreetsPGH team always looks forward to working with SQUONK. Guests are continuously in awe of the creativity and scale of SQUONK’s art, as well as the friendliness of their team. We especially love to see the interactions between the SQUONK team and the children at our event. You can see the positive impact it has on the kids, not only as a catalyst to their imagination and creativity, but also as an educational piece of engineering. SQUONK is a true asset to our event and to the community at large.”
— Julie Walsh, BikePGH
“I just wanted to thank you for everything! My daughter absolutely loved it! She’s been talking about it the last few days so I just wanted you to know you make such a difference. Your patience and kindness is beyond appreciated.”
— Mom of workshop participant

Brouhaha

For Brouhaha, our collaborative process benefited from the addition of new BIPOC and non-binary voices, and we were thrilled to employ dozens of Pittsburgh artists, technicians, and musicians in the adventure that is DIY ensemble creation. Deep in an abandoned Alcoa test mill with 35-foot ceilings, we started building everything for the new production from scratch. And after working with our team for most of a year, we invited the public to come see our messy, joyous process. It was a festive and noisy Brouhaha!

Photo: Susan Wallace

We also took up the challenge to unite diverse citizens into communities of the imagination by inviting them to play music with us on the Squonkcordion, our giant foghorn organ. Many voices, one song! 

Brouhaha is even more immersive and participatory, so we had new free programming to offer our many local community partners.

Brouhaha Photo: David S. Rubin

“It is always great to see what their creative minds come up with, and it is awesome that the audience gets to try out the giant bellows themselves!”
— -Jessica, Squonk fan

Brouhaha debuted over Labor Day weekend at Acrisure Field Kickoff and Rib Festival with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Through this new show, we will continue to break down cultural, economic, and geographic barriers by delivering free engagements that welcome children and non-traditional arts audiences and create a vibrant public life. 

Brouhaha Photo: David S. Rubin

“The venerable, Pittsburgh-based art-rock group with a penchant for wacky humor and custom-built, mechanical props debuts its new show this weekend. Still, like all Squonk shows over the past three decades, “Brouhaha” will feel tactile and handmade. The scissor lifts, for instance, are cranked by hand. And audience members, with guidance from Squonk, will really get to play along with the band.”
— Bill O'Driscoll, WESA-FM
““Once again, the show was fantastic and
delightful! Thank you for bringing your creativity and wonder back to TRAF. Can’t wait to see what yinz cook up next!”
— Brandi, Squonk fan
“It was the greatest show I’ve seen in
a long time.”
— Wild Bill, Squonk fan

Brouhaha Photo: David S. Rubin

"Brouhaha" in Colorado Springs

We’ll be taking Brouhaha to Colorado Springs, CO, for some Halloween fun! We’re performing as part of the family-friendly Monster Mash Bash on October 27 from 4 to 7 p.m. Then on October 28, we’ll be joining the Coroner’s Aud Ball Halloween Party from 6 p.m. to midnight. The event is for all the “freaky, funny, weird fanatics” in the Springs, so we should fit right in!

Photo by David S. Rubin.

Photos! "Brouhaha" Premieres at ArtPrize

We were thrilled to premiere Brouhaha at ArtPrize in Grand Rapids, Michigan. We were part of their grand opening celebration on September 14 and then performed multiple times September 15-17.

ArtPrize is an open, international art competition that takes place for 18 days in the fall in Grand Rapids. It was an honor to help them celebrate so many artists!

Our Pittsburgh Preview of "Brouhaha"

We had a blast previewing Brouhaha at the Kick-Off and Rib Festival in Pittsburgh over Labor Day Weekend. Thanks to everyone who came up to play the Squonkcordion! It was a thrill to make music together with our audience. We head to ArtPrize next.

"Brouhaha" Premieres at ArtPrize

We are thrilled to premiere Brouhaha at ArtPrize in Grand Rapids, Michigan. We’re especially excited to be a part of their joyously boisterous and gloriously vibrant opening celebration on September 14. Our performance schedule is:

  • September 14 at 6:30 p.m. 

  • September 15 at noon and 4 p.m.

  • September 16 at noon and 4 p.m.

  • September 17 at noon and 4 p.m.

ArtPrize is an open, international art competition that takes place for 18 days in the fall in Grand Rapids. At each event, the voting public and a panel of jurors decide the winners of $400,000 in prizes, including a $125,000 grand prize. Any artist working in any medium from anywhere in the world can participate. Learn more on the ArtPrize website.


"Brouhaha" Previews at Pittsburgh's Kickoff and Rib Festival on Sept. 3-4

Our hometown of Pittsburgh will have the first chance to preview our new show: Brouhaha!

Brouhaha will preview at The Kickoff and Rib Festival at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on September 3-4. Performances are September 3 at 4 and 7 p.m. and September 4 at 1:30 and 5:15 p.m. We will be set up near the intersection of Art Rooney Avenue and Reedsdale Street.

The Kickoff and Rib Festival started in 1990 at Three Rivers Stadium and draws tens of thousands of fans. The 2023 event is free to the public and will take place August 30-September 4, 2023. For a full schedule of events, visit the festival website. 

A behind-the-scenes look at Brouhaha.



Our New Show: Brouhaha

We’re thrilled to announce the name of our new show! Brouhaha is an immersive outdoor spectacle bursting with rollicking music, dazzling imagery, and the thrill of audience participation.

At the center of this riotous romp is the Squonkcordion, an enormous musical instrument powered by behemoth bellows topped with towering tuba bells. At the peak of the performance, we invite the audience to play this foghorn organ, welcoming them to experience the joy of a brass band and the fireworks of community. The show ends with a 30-foot head made of brilliantly colored banners, comically blinking its eyes and shooting smoke out of its ears. 

Throughout this visual extravaganza, we add driving rhythms, vibrant keyboards, wild winds, and hypnotic guitar riffs to the Squonkcordion’s rich and brassy sound. A raucous fusion of styles, our music ranges from propulsive and exhilarating to celebratory and majestic.

We’ve been spending the summer rehearsing and building the show, and we’re excited to announce performances for this fall:

  • Brouhaha will preview at The Kickoff and Rib Festival at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on September 3-4.

  • The show will have its premiere performances at ArtPrize in Grand Rapids, MI, on September 14-17.

  • Additional performances will take place September 26 at the Westinghouse Arts Academy as part of RAD Days in Wilmerding, PA, and on October 27-28 in Colorado Spring, CO, thanks to the Colorado Springs Community Cultural Collective at City Auditorium.

We’ve also launched a Kickstarter project to support building Brouhaha. The project closes August 25. We hope you’ll consider donating or sharing on social! Join the Brouhaha!

Squonk in the Neighborhood

Big weekend for our hands! On Saturday, June 24, we took them to Wilmerding for the “Party In The Park” event in conjunction with Westinghouse Arts Academy and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre.

Then on Sunday, June 25, we participated in another OpenStreetsPGH event in Lawrenceville, organized by Bike Pittsburgh.

We’re headed to Sandusky, Ohio, for July 4. And then we’ll be back in Pittsburgh rehearsing our new show!

Squonk is funded in part by: