Jay-Z at the Arena ... he likes us?

It was looking like we weren't going to see Live Nation around these parts until summer came along.

But the promoter, which does no club bookings in Pittsburgh and often steers clear of the market in the off-season, is jumping back in early with Jay-Z and Young Jeezy at the Mellon Arena on March 16. Tickets are going on sale at www.LiveNation.com on Nov. 13.

This is the kind of tour that's been skipping Pittsburgh for years, so it's surprising to see Jay-Z add us on the second leg. The last time Hova (can I call him that?) was here was five years or so ago at the Star Lake Amphitheatre, so it was beginning to look like he had something against us.

Perhaps if this show does well, we'll see more like it. Beyonce, Kanye, Mary J. Blige, Madonna ... they've all skipped the market on recent tours, making Pittsburgh look all the more like a classic rock town.