For a few years now, Philadelphia natives Grayscale have celebrated the holidays with a special show in their hometown. Playing at The Fillmore this year on December 21st, this tradition became even bigger and more exciting. With their new album The Hart set to release on January 31st, Grayscale took the opportunity to celebrate the new record with a full album play through while also playing many of their biggest hits. With many lucky fans getting to hear the entirety of The Hart over a month before anyone else, as well as witnessing its live debut, Grayscale’s annual holiday show was certainly a night to be remembered.
To start off the night, School of Rock Hockessin’s House Band performed, a surprise addition to the lineup. Despite their ages, these musicians were not to be underestimated; they began with an astounding cover of Paramore’s “That’s What You Get”. With multiple singers, and many of them being multi-instrumentalists, they easily ignited energy within the crowd. They also played a few other notable covers, such as My Chemical Romance’s “Teenagers”, No Doubt’s “I’m Just a Girl”, and, to boost the holiday spirit, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You”, surely making a mark on the concertgoers.
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Next to join the stage was Bike Routes, an alternative rock band from South Jersey. Frontman David Osterhout delivered a memorable performance with his acoustic guitar taking center stage, playing songs from his recently released EP The Rush of Energy. With indie rock and emo influences, Bike Routes’ music focused heavily on emotional, personal lyrics, while also having upbeat melodies that can bring anyone to dance. As the audience could connect with the lyrics and also jump to the rhythm, Bike Routes was certainly a great choice to open for a band like Grayscale.
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New Jersey-native indie rock band Phoneboy was next to perform. Singers and guitarists Wyn Barnum and Ricky Dana delivered powerful vocals and exciting riffs, ramping up the crowd’s energy. Keyboardist Jordan Torres also lent some lead vocals to a few songs, making the band a standout of the night with three different lead vocalists. They performed their newest single “I LOOK ALIVE” at the end of their set, a track filled with compelling beats and fun riffs. Whether they knew of Phoneboy or not, everyone in the audience was engaged with their performance, turning everyone in the venue into a fan.
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The final opener to perform was New York’s Quarters of Change. With their unique sound, the crowd was easily invested in their set. The band takes inspiration from indie rock and a variety of other styles from different decades, like alternative bands from the nineties and the groovy rock music from the seventies. Vocalist Ben Roter gave a stellar performance, and lead guitarist Jasper Harris delivered great solos and backing vocals, playing many songs from their most recent album release Portraits. With spectacular energy from the band and an experimental style, the audience was full of vigor by the end of their set, fully ready for Grayscale to enter the stage.
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Finally, when the clock hit 10, the lights began to dim as the title track of the new album “The Hart” played on tape. Grayscale took the stage and opened with “Kept Me Alive”, a pop-punk anthem that had the room erupting with energy, with people already starting to crowdsurf only a few seconds into the song. Frontman Collin Walsh’s versatile vocals kept the crowd hooked, while guitarists Andrew Kyne and Dallas Molster delivered riveting solos and riffs. Nick Veno’s thunderous drumming expertly tied the whole performance together. The band continued playing The Hart in order, performing unreleased tracks “Through the Landslide” and “Talking in my Sleep” next. Luckily for the fans, Grayscale had the lyrics of these songs flashing on screens behind them, so they could sing along despite never hearing them before. With how loud the venue was, it's safe to say that Grayscale’s upcoming record is already becoming a hit with the fans.
As they continued with The Hart, Grayscale proceeded to play singles “Let Go” and “Summer Clothes”, two feel-good rock songs that kept the crowdsurfers coming. Songs like “Dancing With Your Ghost” and “Don’t Leave Me in the Dark” provided an emotional tone change to the record while also having fun, rhythmic melodies that kept the audience engaged. Then, Collin told the crowd that they’d be slowing things down for a bit, performing “Painting Over You” and “Mum II”. Collin stated that “Mum II” especially is very personal to him, and it was felt in his performance; the palpable raw emotion of this song about love and regret echoed throughout the venue, the audience intently listening.
Afterwards, the band left the stage for a brief intermission before they returned to play their hits, starting with “Dirty Bombs”, an energetic pop punk song that immediately had the crowd jumping off their feet, and crowdsurfers coming one after the other. During this half of the set, they pulled songs from their entire discography, with songs ranging from their very first album, 2016’s What We’re Missing, to their most recent album, 2021’s Umbra. With a setlist like this, Grayscale fans old and new were having the time of their lives; anyone in The Fillmore could feel the liveliness rushing throughout the venue. Before the final few songs of the set, the rest of the band left the stage to bring all focus to Nick Veno and his amazing drum solo. When they returned, they performed a cover of Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer”, the voices of the crowd roaring throughout the venue as they sang along to every lyric. To close the show, Grayscale performed the final track of The Hart, “Not Afraid to Die”, a heartfelt song about resilience filled with melodic riffs and exciting beats. A perfect song to conclude the night, fans were dancing and crowdsurfing until the very end. With unrelenting energy from the crowd the entire night, and positive reception for the upcoming record The Hart, the nearly sold-out show at The Fillmore marked yet another successful Grayscale holiday show, and a night to remember for all the fans who celebrated.
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