Smokey Robinson is coming to Pittsburgh this Friday, October 23, for a concert at 8:00 p.m. at Citizens Live at The Wylie, 1201 Wylie Ave. in the Hill District. If you know Motown mostly from old records or from songs that still turn up on the radio, this is a chance to hear many of them performed by the man who helped write them.
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Robinson was the lead singer and main songwriter of the Miracles, one of the first acts signed to Motown. Their 1960 hit "Shop Around" became the label's first million-selling single, and it was followed by a long run of songs that still get played today, including "You've Really Got a Hold On Me," "The Tracks of My Tears," "I Second That Emotion," and "Going to a Go-Go." "The Tears of a Clown" reached number one on the pop chart in 1970, the only chart-topper the group had with Robinson on lead. He left the Miracles in 1972 and kept recording on his own, with hits like "Cruisin'" and "Being With You."
The concert takes place at a venue that only recently opened. Citizens Live at The Wylie welcomed its first crowd on September 28, when Donnie Iris & The Cruisers and NASH.V.ILL played the grand opening. The room holds roughly 4,000 people, and it sits a few blocks from PPG Paints Arena and the hotels and restaurants downtown. The building was designed as a nod to the neighborhood's music history. A mirrored piano inspired by the old Crawford Grill hangs in the main lobby, and the staircase is lined with portraits of musicians photographed by Teenie Harris, the photographer who documented the Hill District for much of the 20th century. The venue was built in partnership with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Citizens Financial, and Live Nation, and it is part of a wider effort to bring back the Lower Hill's Wylie Avenue scene, which was pushed out during 1950s redevelopment.
A few practical details before you go. Every guest needs a ticket regardless of age, and some shows are age-restricted, so check the listing before you buy. Tickets are delivered electronically, so your phone works as the ticket. The box office opens two hours before showtime, and you can reach it at 412-887-3001. For door times, the opening act, and other questions, the venue's website at citizensliveatthewylie.com has the full details.
Robinson's wife is from Pittsburgh, and the couple spends part of the year in the city, so this is a show with a local connection. If you grew up with the Miracles or you're hearing these songs for the first time, Friday night gives you a full evening of the Motown catalog from one of its original voices.
Published Date
22 October 2026
