Hello everybody, welcome back to the No Skip Show! Today we have another great show write-up to bring to you! This one involves a couple of monumental achievements for the Sacramento, California band, Royal Coda, namely it being their first headlining tour but also their very first show in Pittsburgh itself. Albeit the show was in New Kensington, but close enough! Kurt himself, frontman/vocalist, has been around the area many times before with various other projects, but this would be the very first official Royal Coda show in the area. We are very thankful to be graced with such a legendary presence and almost flawless lineup. The people showed up as well in response, for those who are unaware Swancore and post-hardcore are tough sellers in the county, so an almost full room in the Underground is a great achievement for their first headliner tour and show in the area itself.

AMARTONETTE

Starting off the show in a great way would be the Las Vegas, Nevada natives and post-hardcore staples of Amarionette! We have had the pleasure of seeing this electric and groovy act before, but this would be the first time we saw them with their original singer Quin back on lead vocals. Issy was a fantastic fill in but hearing the tracks that Quin was on live with Quin is unmatched. Anyone who has a chance to see these guys live absolutely takes it because they are amazing! The most groovy, funkadelic, mathy, dancey, technical music you can get nowadays that is awe-inspiring to watch live. The set seemed to fly by, mainly because they played a short and sweet set, but also the entire time I felt in a trance and before I knew it they were getting off stage. Each of the five members put their entire heart and soul into their whole performance, making each song feel individually grandiose. 

STRAWBERRY MILK CULT

When I mentioned above about an almost flawless bill I do unfortunately mean this act wasn’t quite vibing with me. However, it has nothing to do with them or their sound or anything! Both Travis and I agreed we would give them another listen just under different circumstances. I just think it comes down to their sound was quite a bit different from every other band there and having them second up after Amarionette was a little jarring with the sonic change. As opposed to the other bands being post-hardcore/swancore these guys were more in the grunge/shoegaze area of sound. Now we do enjoy those genres here at the channel but the whole set just felt off between the sound tech not seeming to know how to mix them and the sort of slower pace from following up Amarionette. But, like I said, I didn't hate them and what I heard sounded pretty good. It's just I would have to see them in a different setting or listen to them myself on my own time to form a better opinion. They all seem like awesome guys though and are great at their sound so nothing against them at all!

DWELLINGS

The absolute GOATs at carrying the post-hardcore torch and keeping the genre alive, all the way from Sacramento, California as well, the beautiful boys in Dwellings! It is such a pleasure to always see these guys live because they always put their all into every minute of the set. Isaacs vocals are quite frankly insane but also angelic, tying together the groovy wackiness perfectly. Much up the same alley as Amarionette but with their own flare and style, they are just as funky, technical, and chaotic as the other two bands on the bill in the genre. Of course they had to play their hits, namely Lemonade, but also showcased some newer music as well, bringing an all around experience if you are a new or seasoned fan of the band. Having conversed with Isaac and the band on multiple occasions it is always an immense pleasure to see them live and how they keep on growing throughout the scene and hopefully beyond that. While they have been around for roughly a decade it hasn’t been until recently that they have begun to gain the well deserved notoriety in and out of the scene, slowly gaining more and more traffic. The genre is niche itself on the west coast, but here in the east it is almost nonexistent so for a band like them to be gaining in numbers and eyes makes me giddy inside for what they still have to show!

ROYAL CODA

Oh man, what can I say about this band other than I love Kurt, Will, and Sergio, they are all absolute powerhouses and geniuses in the genre and at what they do! As I’ve said above, this is the first Royal Coda show in Pittsburgh but not the first time we’ve seen Kurt here. He’s graced us under other projects where he has played a few Royal Coda songs, but to finally see the actual band live and give it their all, absolutely magical. It felt kind of surreal actually, especially being in the small, intimate space of Preserving Underground where I think this might have been the smallest place to see any of the actual members throughout all their other projects. They put on a stellar performance, as I knew they would, playing the classics, newer stuff, and even teasing new music coming out. The band seems to be going full steam ahead after their most recent album release, giving us the inside scoop of another Coda album coming out just next year! At this point I can say with certainty that Kurt and Sergio are friends of the channel so to see them, talk to them, and watch them rock out is always a blast to have especially when they are seasoned vets of the genre who paved the path many years ago for the likes of Amarionette and Dwellings to follow!