Decades Later, T-Shirts Revive Memory Of Legendary Pittsburgh Bar

PITTSBURGH, PA — The corner of Atwood and Sennot streets in Oakland once was the place in Pittsburgh where rock intersected with roll. It was the corner that housed The Decade, a nondescript bar that became legendary for the incredible performers who played there before going onto become superstars.

The Decade has been gone for, well, decades. But its memory is being revived by Gabby Means, the granddaughter of former Decade owner Dom DeSilvio, in the commemorative T-shirts now being sold. They are available at Sports World Specialties, Downtown, and online.

"The response so far has been incredible," said Means, 28, a Pittsburgh native and recent law school graduate now living in Virginia. "We're getting so many sales, many from people who don't even live in Pittsburgh anymore."

That's understandable, given the notable bands that played there during the Decade's run from 1973 to 1995.

The list of future Rock & Roll Hall of Famers that graced the bar's stage simply is amazing. It includes the Police, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Pretenders, Pat Benatar, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Buddy Guy and the Ramones.

You might have heard of some of the other acts who played there as well: the Violent Femmes, Fabulous Thunderbirds, Los Lobos, The Pixies, Joe Jackson, Cyndi Lauper, 10,000 Maniacs, the Ramones, Suzanne Vega and Black Flag.

Means said she doesn't think the enduring devotion for the bar, which boasted parachutes on its ceiling, came entirely from the acts that played there.

"I think for a lot of patrons, it encapsulated feelings of youth, captured a moment in time that was special to them," she said.

After DiSilvio - who is still alive and living in Squirrel Hill - sold the bar in 1995, The Decade's incarnations have included a deli, lesbian bar, produce store, Cumpie's bar and the Garage Door Saloon. The building has been vacant since 2021, when it was condemned.

Means, who wrote a book on the Decade's history in 2016, said she would like to see the necessary renovations made to the structure and have it reopen.

"We would love that," she said. "I'm sure a lot of people would."