Last night at Mckees Rocks Roxian Theatre we caught three amazing act on Grandson’s “I love you, I’m Trying” tour.
Kicking off was Jack Kays with his unique blend of indie music that merges a little indie folk with a lot of punk for a nine song set that included not just the string-breaking tunes but he mixed in some acoustic tunes as well. Great energy, great sound and can’t wait to hear more from him!
Next up, the incredible K.Flay. Another musician who writes their own story. Opening with “The President Has a Sex Tape” was a brilliant way to start. The set list had everything from the Alt Nation favorites to a couple of unreleased tracks and even, swear to god, Blood in the Cut mashed with Bulls on Parade. It was simply incredible.
Then finally Grandson on to close the night. He had stage set that mirrored the look of the new album with camouflage, a few props of lamp posts and a park bench where Grandson sat in the dark to start the show. I love it when a musician brings a whole concept to their live show as he did. Nearly half the tracks he played were from his new album, “I love you, I’m trying” but he mixed in some of the favorites, breaking out “Dirty” just before K.Flay joined back in for a cover of X Ambassadors “Zen” and the throwback “Peaches” that they recorded together back in 2020. And the perfect ending… “Blood in the Water.”
Great sets from all three artists from start to finish. Hard, soft, emotional, angry, hopeful…the line-up is a little of everything and a whole lot of excellence. Luckily, there’s tons of dates left to catch them still.
half alive is the first post from Rachel since she moved out to California. The show was completely sold out weeks in advance, and there’s a reason why. A band originally from LA, half alive started their show with a sheet held up at the front of the stage, with the musicians back lit so that their shadows appeared on the sheet. The multiple lights moved around and switched on and off to create a cool effect sometimes showing the each artist individually and sometimes overlaid. The rest of the show was high energy and artistic, where one of the highlights was the inclusion of two dancers who added movement to the show without stealing the attention. It was clear that they spent a significant amount of time choreographing every part of the show, and this is one definitely worth seeing.
On May 20th the alternative indie trio, Mellowscape, played at the Double L Bar at Millvale Music Festival. Their set was full of energy and gave off a very welcoming atmosphere. The band did an incredible job of keeping everyone entertained throughout the duration of their performance and by the time they were done, the crowd was astounded by their talent.
Their set lasted for about 40 minutes and in that time they showed off their vast range of skills. Within seconds, they had gone from a happy, upbeat song to a more sadder, slower song. The vocals and guitar skills of the lead singer, Robert King, were absolutely phenomenal and sent chills down everyone’s spines. The drummer, Nathaniel King, shares the same incredible level of talent. He also had some singing parts during their performance, which were just as amazing as Robert’s. The guitarist, Chaz, could easily take the title as one of the best guitarists in Pittsburgh. The band also all wore matching flamingo outfits, making it an even more entertaining experience.
The entire band was extremely entertaining to watch and there was never a single dull moment. If you haven’t had the pleasure of hearing Mellowscape’s music yet, check it out here!
New York based band Altopalo is the ultimate mix of electronic, R&B, and jazz. Recently on tour with the band Covet, hitting a majority of the big city spots with Pittsburgh, Pa being one of them. This past fall the guitar-driven band released their third album Frenemy. Starting the night with their incredible sound the crowd was immediately pulled into the sound and began to move. They continued their set with tracks of the new record and their top hits. To view more the full galley please click on the photo below. Photos by: Madalyn Schaller, if reposting please credit @madalyns.photos / @livefromthepitt412.
To say I was excited for this show would be a severe understatement.
Better adjectives could be thrilled, delighted, elated, jubilant, tickled… all of this to say, I couldn’t wait for Mega Mango’s return to Pittsburgh.
A little backstory here. Last fall, Mega Mango visited Pittsburgh for the first time on “The No End In Sight” tour, where they hit 14 cities including Boston, Nashville, New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and more. I was invited to the show by my boyfriend, who briefly attended school with some members of the band, and spoke very highly of them as musicians and people.
Now I have this toxic trait where I tend to not listen to bands before going to their shows, and then get sad when I get there because I don’t know any of the words. This was one of those shows where I regretted that. The flow of their lyrics, the spacey bedroom-indie feel, and overall stage presence left me wanting more from the start. I was an instant fan.
Fast-forward to this winter. I’ve been following Mega Mango for a few months now and love what they’re doing. Their new music is gaining rapid popularity, and I’m strongly considering planning a trip to Philadelphia to catch a sh—I mean—visit my family.
February comes along, and I open my phone one day to find a tour announcement! But… the closest show is in Cleveland. Sounds about right, coming from a Philadelphia based band (kidding). Slowly giving up hope and preparing myself for a Tuesday in Cleveland, Mega Mango worked out a deal behind the scenes and snuck in a Pittsburgh show right before they hit the road. Of course I bought my tickets that day.
And then, for the following month and change, I encouraged anyone and everyone from the Pittsburgh music scene to attend this concert. It was pretty fun sharing new music with so many friends, several of whom ended up becoming fans. Finally, show weekend hits, and Mega Mango arrives at my boyfriend’s house at 2am Saturday night/Sunday morning, fresh off the road from their stop in Chicago. On Sunday, before the show, I had the chance to sit down with them and ask about their experience on tour while we enjoyed some Primanti’s sandwiches (in true Pittsburgh fashion).
Q: How does it feel to be almost done with tour? A: *wide eyes* Wow, I didn’t even realize we were almost done. It’s weird, we’ve been on the road for so long that we kinda forget what home is like. It’s going to be a big adjustment period once we get back home. On day 1 of tour, Alex told the group that he thought it would fly by. It quickly went from “wow, we’re really gonna be here for another month” to “wow, it still feels like we’re only a week in”. Now with less than 8 shows left, it’s hard to imagine what comes next.
Q: You almost didn’t come to Pittsburgh this time around! Was your stop here based on fan influence or other means? A: Pittsburgh was a last minute add! We heard of this restaurant called *looks up at sign* “Primanti Brothers?” (pronounced wayyyy wrong) and we just had to come! In all seriousness, we were going to come anyway, it just wasn’t booked yet when the first announcement came out!
Q: What have been your favorite cities, and where were you surprised to find fans? A: While we haven’t spent a lot of time in each city, our favorite ones were our favorites because of the people we’ve met. We thought some of the cities further away from home might have lower attendance, but we were excited to find fans across the country!
Q: What song from Fun & Games are you most proud of? A: (Alex) Risk is one I’m always proud to show someone as an introduction to the band. It just goes hard and never got old to me! Clue is the most impressive from musician to musician. (Crow) Sorry! is probably what I am most proud of, because of the personal weight in the lyrics.
Q: How do you define “success” around a new release? When can you sit back and feel proud/content? Or, do you not really worry about “success”? A: We look at the numbers when they make themselves hard not to. Sam likes seeing people use their music as sounds, like the rats on TikTok listening to Boggle. Crow says, “people screaming [the lyrics] at shows”.
Q: Do you have any questions you were expecting to be asked and had answers prepped for, but didn’t get asked? Think of this like you’re back in school and you studied so hard for an exam and that one concept wasn’t even on the test! A: Actually, no! We’ve been asked some really specific questions, like “so you said in your live stream the other day…” kind of stuff. It’s been very interesting hearing the questions people have asked us.
Q: Most important: How many dogs have you encountered on tour? A: Only a couple face to face, but we see a lot hanging out of car windows and it makes us so happy!
The concert itself on Sunday lived up to every bit of expectation I had. Energetic and fun, while also soft and chill when it needed to be. The two openers, Tory Silver and Anti-Corn League, are local to Pittsburgh and I can’t wait to check them out again.
“Sheets,” Mega Mango’s latest single, was released via Elton Audio Records on May 2nd, 2023 and is available for streaming wherever you listen to music.
The metalcore band known as “The Plot In You” kicked off “The Divide Tour” on 04/09/23 at Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The tour includes support from upcoming international acts such as Thornhill and Banks Arcade from Australia and Holding Absence from England. The show was phenomenal and a throwback setlist from The Plot In You was a fantastic surprise.
On March 26th the Pittsburgh based country/rock band Buck Wild played a show at the Tonidale Pub. Their set consisted of over 40 songs, going from several of today’s country hits and some of the most beloved rock anthems, including Enter Sandman by Metallica.
Their show was full of energy and they made sure that everyone in the room was having fun. They interacted with everyone they could and by the end of the set, everyone was upfront singing along to some of their favorite songs with them. They never failed to amaze everyone with their vast range of talent by going from a very upbeat song to a song that was much calmer. During this song, they all sat on the front of the stage, making it feel very at home for the audience.
If you missed the show, there’s several upcoming opportunities to see them! Tickets and more information can be found here.
To see more photos from the show, click the image below. Words and photos by Sarah Taylor, if reposting please credit @sarahsxphotosx and @livefromthepitt412
Hawthorne Heights has hit the road again, this time with support from Armor for Sleep and Spitalfield. The Pitch Black Forever Tour made its way into Pittsburgh, and stopped at the Roxian Theater. This was a fantastic show, with all three bands playing INCREDIBLE sets. I caught Hawthorne Heights for the first time last Fall at Ohio Is For Lovers Festival in Cincinnati, so I was very excited to have another opportunity to shoot photos of them.
The night kicked off with a set from Spitalfield. Spitalfield was formed in 1998, and signed with Victory Records after their 2002 release The Cloak and Dagger Club EP. The band parted ways back in 2007, but reunited again in 2012. I hadn’t listened to this band leading into this night, but this set was great. This was a great way to start off the night.
The second band to play was Hawthorne Heights. This band was formed in 2001 in Dayton Ohio. As previously mentioned, this was my second time taking photos of this band. I was excited to see them coming to Pittsburgh, especially such a great venue like the Roxian Theater. Lead singer JT Woodruff, spoke about his first time attending a concert which happened to be right here in Pittsburgh. The band filled the night with all of the classic Hawthorne Heights song. The crowd was loving this set, singing along with the band through its entirety. There was also a kid in the crowd, at his first concert for his 6th birthday. Bassist Matt Ridenour gave him a pick and a setlist at the end of their set. The band of course closed out the night with a performance of a fan favorite “Ohio Is For Lovers.”
The night closed out with a set from Armor for Sleep from New Jersey. This is another band I was unfamiliar with going into the night. When they took the stage, the crowd went ballistic. There were a lot of people in the crowd who seemed to really love this band. This set was a lot of fun, all four members brought incredible energy to the stage, and the crowd responded. Armor for Sleep had went on hiatus in 2007, and announced their breakup in 2008. They reunited briefly for a few tours in 2012 and 2015, but officially reunited in 2020.
All in all, this was a perfect night for all the “elder emos” bringing back waves of nostalgia from years passed.
“And I can’t make it on my own, because my heart is in Ohio”
On March 12, Kentucky based band White Reaper made a stop at Mr. Smalls Theater while on their Asking for a Ride U.S. tour. White Reaper created a mellow Sunday night rock show with the crowd encapsulated by the music. While most of the night was subtle head banging movements, small mosh-pits towards the front began to appear. Between songs, conversation amongst the members of the band and the fans started to commence. It began with bassist Sam Wilkerson requesting gum, and drinks being purchased for keyboard player Ryan Hater. Singer and guitarist Tony Esposito, guitarist Hunter Thompson, and drummer Nick Wilkerson also spoke about how things have been since getting on the road. They played hits off their newest LP Asking for a Ride, and other hits “Might be Right” and “Daisies.” All shows at Mr. Smalls are filled with the most immense excitement because fans are able to come together and see their favorite artist. Seeing White Reaper at the beloved venue proved this once again. I really recommend seeing them on this run if you get the chance.
View the full gallery by clicking on the image below. Words and Photos by Madalyn Schaller, if reposting please credit @madalyns.photos and @livefromthepitt412
This past week, the Blind Obedience tour made its way to Pittsburgh PA. This stop of the tour was at the Roxian Theater in McKees Rocks. I was very excited to attend this show, as Underoath was a band I had grown up listening to. The band put out a new album early last year titled Voyeurist, their SEVENTH full length album and their second with Fearless Records. Supporting Underoath on this tour is Periphery from Washington DC, and Loathe all the way from Liverpool.
The night was kicked off with an absolutely incredible set from Loathe. This was the only band I was unfamiliar with going into the show. It only took this band one song to reel me in. Loathe played a few different songs spanning over multiple releases. The songs that stood out to me the most were the ones from their 2020 release I Let It In and It Took Everything. Loathe closed there set with their songs “Is It Really You?” into “Gored.” I definitely plan on giving this band more attention in the future!
The second set of the night was from Washington DC’s Periphery. I have only heard a handful of Periphery tracks leading into the night, but I knew exactly what I was in for. This band was a lot of fun live. The crowd erupted when they came on stage, and I spent my time in the photo pit avoiding crowd surfers. Before the band kicked off the track “Reptile” from their 2019 album Periphery IV: HAIL STAN, lead singer Spencer Sotelo made the joke “We have to switch it up sometimes, I know you guys are looking up the setlist before the show.” Which got a good laugh from the crowd. This set was great, the vocals were crisp and all band members brought great energy.
Last, but certainly not least, was Underoath from Tampa. This is a band I would have never expected to be taking photos of, so this was an awesome experience. I grew up listening to Underoath, their 2004 album They’re Only Chasing Safety, was an album I adored at a young age. The band kicked off their set with the song “It’s Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door” from that 2004 release. This immediately set the tone for the night. Underoath crushed through more tracks, spanning throughout different eras of the band. Underoath also had some incredible stage lighting, which really tied the performance together. The band closed the night with their two most well known tracks: “A Boy Brushed Red Living In Black And White” and “Writing On The Walls.” This was an absolutely perfect ending to an incredible night.
The Blind Obedience Tour continues for another few weeks before its final stop in Nashville on April 2nd.
