The Connecticut jam band Eggy helped Pittsburgh’s Alex Bieger and Erin Weyant get engaged during a show at the Thunderbird Music Cafe last week.
Love has been reigning supreme at rock shows in Pittsburgh recently.
Back in April, Greensburg couple Chris and Erica Curtis got married in the mosh pit during a performance by death metal legends Cannibal Corpse at Pittsburgh’s Stage AE.
And just last week, the Connecticut jam band Eggy helped Alex Bieger propose to Erin Weyant during a show at the Thunderbird Music Hall in the city.
(Don’t worry, she said yes).
The Pittsburgh couple began dating in the fall of 2021 after connecting over their shared love of music on social media. Since then, Bieger said they’ve seen Eggy about 10 times, becoming friendly with members of the band and their road crew along the way.
Bieger reached out to Eggy keyboardist Dani Battat and pitched the idea of proposing to Weyant while the band played Tina Turner’s “The Best.” The song choice was a nod to a scene from the show “Schitt’s Creek,” when the character Patrick Brewer performs “The Best” acoustically to profess his devotion to his future husband, David Rose. The song also represented something deeper personally to Bieger.
“Before I knew Erin, I was sick and binged ‘Schitt’s Creek’ and it became a symbol of healing,” he said. “‘The Best’ plays its own role in that show, and it also took on a special meaning for us as our relationship bloomed.”
Bieger said it was while watching Eggy cover one of his favorite songs, Paul Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al,” during a show in Columbus, Ohio in March 2023 that he began to envision a surprise proposal involving the band—and “The Best.” More than two years later, it happened. During a breakdown in the song, Battat asked for a spotlight to illuminate the couple who were seated in the front row of the Thunderbird’s balcony. With the crowd looking on, Bieger got down on one knee and popped the question to Weyant, who was completely surprised and overcome with emotion.
“I was incredibly surprised,” she said. “I knew something was up because we went early, took dinner for the band and crew, and they had a reserved table set up for us, but I did not know the extent of what was going on. I thought he was just excited to have one of our favorite bands in town and hang out with them before the show.”
The couple said that people have been reaching out on social media to share congratulations along with photos and videos of their engagement. They’ve even been recognized while attending a few shows since, something they described as “surreal.”
Bieger, who works as a harm reduction therapist, and Weyant, who is a jewelry consultant at a local studio and workshop, said they haven’t begun wedding planning yet. Their focus right now is making some renovations to their home in Pittsburgh’s West End.
Another priority: trying to find a way to book Eggy to play their wedding reception.
“Have to try to bring it full circle, you know?” Bieger said.
