Nightly Standard

Nightly Standard was founded in 2011 by singer/songwriter/guitarist Seth Dubin and provocateur/classical trumpeter Rocco Pacella. The two performed together as founding members of the once-venerable Pittsburgh-based group The Metropolitans, which stopped performing in 2009. An evolution in songwriting, line-up and musical approach occurred over the next few years, culminating in Nightly Standard’s formation.

Seth and Rocco’s pressing priority was gathering the right musicians for the horn section – one musician immediately came to mind. A close friend and former member of The Metropolitans, Jason Munley navigates the intricate pathways and pitfalls of the alto saxophone with the blatant carelessness of a jazz mastermind. His contribution of musical theory to Nightly Standard was eventually matched by the likes of Joshua George, a laconic, skilled and stalwart embodiment of all that a classically trained tenor/baritone saxophonist should be.

The need for a rhythm section was clear… after the horn section was contained. It was important for Seth to capture elements of rock, soul and pop that he had so often tried to mimic in his songwriting, but he also wanted a rhythm section whose sound could easily imbue certain features of standard jazz. The choice was obvious once David Fix auditioned in the brick-lined expanse of Nightly Standard's practice loft. Dave’s experience as a student at Berklee College of Music and in countless bands provided him with the repertoire of a seemingly endless variety of genres and bass-like tonalities. Alas! The group found themselves in need of a percussive foundation. Mike Smales was rescued while playing a tattered drumset in the backroom of a dilapidated laboratory marked "Special Projects" in Pittsburgh's Dilapidated Laboratory neighborhood. His origins are not completely known, but with an almost robotic precision, his mechanical "love" of all genres allows him to lock-in with all of Nightly Standard's musical elements. Last, but certainly not least, was the need for a strong, soulful female lead. After a gauntlet-like audition process, vocalist Laura Fredrickson emerged as Nightly Standard's frontwoman. With years of experience singing in numerous groups, Laura possesses a natural voice to match her unique style, and, of course, has a background playing the tuba.

Once Nightly Standard’s line-up was set, the outfit decided to embark upon a rather rigorous practice and performance schedule, compiling a variety of both original and cover songs in the process. Since 2011, Nightly Standard has continuously played at venues such as Club Cafe, The Thunderbird Cafe, Howler's Coyote Cafe, Hambone's Pub and even at local weddings, restaurants and public events. And there it is – Nightly Standard's story.