By: Cilia Catello
Jon Engle caught a black eye in the tiny, overcrowded room as “Short Fictions” new album “Fates Worse Than Death” pulsated around the cement walls of the Mr. Roboto Project.
Engle’s friends snuck him into the venue and despite the board members’ best efforts, fists were flying and people were suspended in the air above the crowd. Engle remained unphased, focused on the organic energy flowing between the musicians and the mob.
“What struck me about that show was that the band’s record came out the second week of December and it was only a month later and everyone in that room knew every f–king word,” Engle, who became the volunteer coordinator at the Mr. Roboto Project in 2022, said.
Everything from pride flags to band logos litter the walls, indicating that no matter who you are or where you come from, you are safe here. Floor to ceiling, the Mr. Roboto Project is covered in a mosaic of stickers. The deep community ethos in which punk rock was built hangs in the air of the drop-ceilinged performance space.
The Mr. Roboto Project is a DIY cooperative located on the bustling street of Penn Avenue in Garfield.
While they are most known for hosting bands, the Roboto stages a plethora of events. From 1-3 p.m. Pittsburghers can write letters to incarcerated people and from 7-11 p.m. watch their favorite local band perform. The medley of opportunity in the venue can be attributed to their cooperative business model. The space itself is sustained by members of Mr. Roboto Project who volunteer their time and money to cultivate community.
“Roboto is entirely volunteer run, meaning the day-to-day operations are handled by an elected board. We have 10 people at the moment and 11 positions,” Engle said.
Engle is responsible for organizing members to attend Roboto events.
The Mr. Roboto Project was built to serve the community so when other local venues find themselves in need of a space to hold a show, they know where to go.
Kame House, whose name is a reference to Dragon Ball-Z, is a house venue located down the street from the Roboto in South Oakland. Right before their final show of 2025, Kame House was shut down by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. Despite Kame House vehemently denying the claims fired against them, they have had to relocate their shows since the beginning of the year.
They found their temporary home at the Mr. Roboto Project.
“We had to move it all to the Roboto,” said Rodd Wetherford, Pittsburgh resident and co-owner of Kame House.
Many house venues struggle to stay open because of their proximity to other residential houses. Mr. Roboto Project offers a reprieve from that uncertainty.
“I’ve gone to shows at the Roboto for years. They are very good for the scene. They foster community,” said Owen Loughman, co-founder of Kame house.
Loughman developed the expertise necessary to operate a sound mixing console from his experience at the Roboto.
The first Mr. Roboto Project show took place in November of 1999 at their former location in Wilkinsburg. Roboto relocated to their current location in Garfield in 2011. After many years of renting, Roboto’s sister studio, Bunker Projects, was able to buy the space last year.
“To have that building in the hands of art spaces and within communities who value the kind of thing Roboto is, like Garfield and Bloomfield, is important,” said Engle.
The Mr. Roboto Project functions in a way comparable to a food co-op.
“It is kind of amazing that it [Mr. Roboto Project] has existed for 25 years with no paid staff and all volunteers,” said Todd Derr, volunteer booking coordinator at the Roboto. “Now that I’m on the inside, it becomes very obvious exactly how much work that so many people are putting into that space.”
For local and touring bands alike, the Roboto’s true ‘do it yourself’ model and welcoming leadership entice people to return to the space.
“Mr. Roboto is a legendary spot. Everyone that we’ve crossed paths with at the place has been so incredibly kind and welcoming to us. We’ve played there a couple times and look forward to coming back next time we’re in Pittsburgh,” said touring band, Final Boss Fight, in an Instagram direct message.
Engle has never forgotten that poignant moment at the “Short Fictions” album release show where the Mr. Roboto Project seemed to stop the world from turning on its axis.
