4-12 Hatebreed, Obituary, Cro-Mags, Terror, Fit for an Autopsy, Pittsburgh @Stage AE

Not the biggest fan of Stage AE because of the prices. It's $5-9 for a 16 ouncer. Tickets are always $30 plus. So needless to say I don't end up there very often. BUT, for a lineup like this, I'm pretty well always there.

Fit for an Autopsy - This band is ok I guess. Metalcore. They were already playing when we went inside.

Terror - Killed it. They played a bunch of hits, they played a few new songs. Killed it overall. Didn't play Push It Away or You're Caught or every other song that is a jammer. Maybe not the best band of the night, but they were my favorite. I love Scott Vogel's encouragement for energy.

Cro-Mags - Killed it. Played all the jams, Hard Times, World Peace, Street Justice, Show No Mercy, Malfunction, two Bad Brains covers, more. John Joseph is the man. Pretty sure he's the only long time member playing in the group nowdays, but he's the best. Too bad him and Harley Flannigan won't ever play again together. That's what everyone really wants to see. Cro-Mags rules.

Obituary - They have great tempo and some awesome songs. They played Redneck Stomp and By the Light, two of my favs. Awesome set, loved being there for it. From Obituary I wish for more entertainment from the musicians.

Hatebreed - Good set. I don't know any or many of their songs after Perseverance but it was entertaining anyway. They played 5 songs off of Satisfaction is the Death of Desire, making this show a overwhelming success.

Highs - All the bands, only one fight that I recall
Lows - Stage AE being mad pricey. It's almost like pro sporting event prices.

3-15 Eternal Sleep, Purgatory, No Option, Reserving Dirtnaps, Settle for Nothing, Pittsburgh @Black Forge Coffee House

This show ended up being moved to the Smiling Moose. A choice I'm not mad about, though I'm not sure what Black Forge is like since I haven't been there. The Moose is generally an ok place for shows.

Settle for Nothing - Pittsburgh band. They're good. Hardcore maybe like Blistered or something like this. A little slower.

No Option - I thought this band was really good. Other than Eternal Sleep they were my favorite of the show. A different style of hardcore vocals. More of the crisp yelling type vocal than the scream growl or some shit. It was happy hour so I could only watch by looking around some peoples asses.

Purgatory - Good band. Like em don't love em. Heavier, a good band to play with Eternal Sleep.

Reserving Dirtnaps - Much better than the recordings. I think we saw them at This is Hardcore, or maybe we didn't get there in time that day. I really liked a lot of their songs. Heavy hardcore from Nashville I think they said.

Eternal Sleep - Lots of good songs. I knew about half of them. Been a minute, gonna be a minute is how they put it in reference to playing in Pittsburgh. The crowd reaction was good for about half the set. Very entertaining band, I like seeing them live.

Loved the free poster for the show. Like that this show was going on during happy hour. Good night at the hardcore show.

12-12 Every Time I Die, Turnstile, Angel Dust, Vein, Pittsburgh @Mr. Smalls

This show sold out, which was pretty shocking to me. It's a larger venue in Pittsburgh, I didn't think ETID had it like that in the Burgh. Glad I'm wrong.

Vein - I got there halfway through their set, which was really short. They're very heavy and have good energy. I didn't see them at TIHC either, unfortunately. They played a way too short of a set because it was like 40 minutes until the next band went on.

Angel Dust - I like this band's rhythm and beat. I don't like the singer because he sucks and the sound was too good to make a shitty singer good. They were better at the Rock Room or whatever shitty bar with shitty sound we saw them in last time. Still a good set, I liked it.

Turnstile - I really like this band's energy. The singer is either a different singer than before, or he just has an entirely different stage presence now. They didn't play Pressure to Succeed or Heavy Hand though. Unfortunately.

Everytime I Die - I like this band but don't love this band. They're spazzy at times, heavy at times, singalong at times, a little of everything. Good set. I'm glad people turned out in droves for them.

12-7 Weedeater, Horehound, Coma, Pittsburgh @Cattivo

We had seen Weedeater relatively recently and it was a great show. The other option tonight was a benefit show featuring Hounds of Hate and a bunch of other awesome bands. We opted for Weedeater because it was a later show and I had to work a little later.

Coma - Missed them.

Horehound - Awful band name. Not much better of a band. They would get my interest in maybe 5 second splashes. In the future I'll miss this band too.

Weedeater - Killed it. They're so ridiculously good. Stoner metal at it's absolute finest. I'll try see them everytime they come around. Taking swigs of that Evan Williams.

8-18 Skull Fest 10, Oh Shit They're Going to Kill Us, Wrathcobra, Derketa, Tartarus, Pittsburgh @Cattivo Downstairs 9PM

I wasn't sure about this show going in. I assumed Wrathcobra would be the best band of the night, as they are the only one that I had listened to extensively before. I was wrong, good show.

Tartarus - Missed them. We came straight here after the other show.

Derketa - Ladies playing metal in a particularly vicious affront. Good band. Pittsburgh band.

Wrathcobra - Dreadlocked metal punks. They have been playing for a long time, and they will no longner be playing any more. Good band, first time in years I saw them.

Oh Shit They're Going to Kill Us - Great Pittsburgh band. Way better then I remember. This is their last show ever also. They had this smoke breathing dragon that was amazing thrown into the pit and shredded to pieces. It was a good time. Heavy, groovy, punk rock, great time.

11-26 Leftover Crack, Negative Approach, Crazy and the Brains, Killer of Sheep, Plasmid, Pittsburgh @Rex Theater

LoC is always a great set when they come around. Last time we tried to see them the show was sold out when we got there. That was especially unfortunate.

Plasmid - missed them.

Killer of Sheep - Local punks, been playing all the shows forever. Good set.

Crazy and the Brains - I liked the band's getup. Very British post war or something. The singer wore what looked to be a fancy shower robe. Up beat punk rock, not so yelly. I'd like to see this band again.

Negative Approach - I thought they were surprisingly good. They played all the old jams and weren't too boring. That was my thought, this is going to be boring. It was definitely not. I think they were better this show than at This is Hardcore.

Leftover Crack - Well they're getting old. But they still pretty much killed it. Good set, they didn't play Athiest Anthem but they did play the rest of the jams. Gay Rude Boys Unite and the theme song were the high points.

Hi's - Going out to the punk show is always a good time.

Low's - It was very cold.

8-18 Skull Fest 10 Mob 47, Lebenden Toten, Warpath, Blood Pressure, Lacerate, Pittsburgh @Spirit 6PM

We had high hopes for this show, as with most all Skull Fest shows. Unfortunately it was just a bit of a letdown.

Lacerate -Hardcore punk, I think from Cleveland? They were good. I was just getting tuned up at this point.

Blood Pressure - Always good. I thought they were especially good at this set.

Warpath - This band was big at one point. They are very pro queer. All that is encouraged, what is not encouraged is how shitty they were. I believe at one time this band brought it, they no longer do. From New York I think. Disappointment.

Lebenden Toten - This band was awesome. The singer lady has odd moves on stage that are fun to watch. Every song is super fast and yelly. The punks came out for this band, the rest of the set, well, not so much. I'd like to see this band again. They're from Portland I think.

Mob 47 - Old heads playing old style punk. Good set. Wasn't the crowd support that you want to see. Maybe Spirit was a little too big for this show.