Grayscale Celebrates 10 Years of Music Across Philadelphia
REVIEW + PHOTOS by chelsea vaughan
This past weekend, Grayscale, an indie rock band based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, celebrated 10 years of creating music as a band by touring across multiple different Philly venues throughout the weekend. The four-day tour started at Johnny Brenda’s, ran through Theatre of Living Arts, and finished with a pop-up shop. Each show also had a different setlist and was dedicated to different albums that the band had released throughout the years, giving each audience member their own special show. I had the wonderful opportunity of showcasing the second night of the tour, dedicated to their albums Umbra and Nella Vita.
When I got to the venue, the line for doors was stacked down multiple blocks, with chatters of excitement going through the line. I even had the opportunity to see Lord Farquaad, who was especially excited for the show!
Opening up the show was The Ivy, a band from Tulsa, Oklahoma. I will always be appreciative of an out-of-state band that starts a “Go Birds” chant! They got the crowd pumped up and ready for what was to come, performing songs such as “Street Dog” and “Gold” (which was also my personal favorite of the songs performed). I did not know who The Ivy was prior to this concert and I am glad that this show introduced me to them! Definitely give their music a stream on your preferred streaming service when you get the chance - or check out their Instagram to see what they’re up to.
The moment Grayscale entered the stage, it felt like the energy of the crowd shifted - everybody was pumped, energetic, and dancing along to every song, singing every single word. Hearing the audiences’ reactions to what song was coming next brought a grin to my ear. The band could feel the energy as well - their entire set was electric and I couldn’t take my eyes off of the stage. The crowd went especially crazy for “Baby Blue” and “Over Now”, two songs from their album Nella Vita, with multiple crowdsurfers and a small mosh pit that could be seen from the balcony area. It was also nice getting to hear my favorite song by them, “Twilight (My Heaven)”.
The band thanked the crowd for their dedication and love for their music numerous times throughout the night and talked about how they were excited for more to come. When they announced their last few songs, nobody in the audience wanted to leave - everybody wanted to be stuck in that moment forever. They closed their show with hits “In Violet” and “Painkiller Weather” before leaving the stage and thanking the audience one last time.
One of the nicest things about a band doing shows dedicated to specific albums is that the audience gets to hear songs that they probably wouldn’t get to hear at most other performances. It gives an extra appreciation to past work that may not have been highlighted in a while. They even had specific merch dedicated to the albums that they were performing for the night (which I totally bought a shirt on my way out).
Grayscale, all-in-all, is a band that deserves more recognition - they’re hardworking and love their craft, and you can tell they love their craft just from the energy they bring towards making and performing their music. If you want to see what Grayscale does next (which I highly recommend that you do), check out their Instagram.
