Growing up, my house was rarely quiet. From my mom’s 80s music to my dad’s classic rock, there was almost always music playing. Thanks to this upbringing, my siblings and I have all developed an eclectic taste in music and a habit of listening to it nearly constantly. However, even my favorite albums get old after I listen to them a hundred times in a row. Every so often, I get tired of everything on every playlist I’ve ever made and I need something new. If you’re in a spot like that now or in the future, it’s time for you to look into Grayscale.
Grayscale is an alternative rock/pop punk band from Philadelphia that formed in 2011. I saw them open for another band in March and quickly became a huge fan. They have three albums and an EP on Spotify, giving you plenty of music to get out of your rut. They also have a ton of music videos. If you decide that you love them half as much as I do, they’re on tour through May 2020. They’re growing quickly but are still a relatively small band, so the tickets are really inexpensive—I saw them in November for fourteen dollars! The venues are also pretty small and intimate, which can make for a really cool concert experience.
These guys are excellent musicians and phenomenal lyricists. Their music always makes me want to sing along and their writing is so powerful that it sometimes moves me to tears (check out “Forever Yours” if you need a good cry). Their music deals with difficult subjects gracefully and authentically. Their second album, Adornment, is hands down my favorite. I never get tired of their stuff—they’re my go-to when I can’t figure out what I want to listen to, as you can see in my Spotify 2019 Recap.
While I love their music, my favorite thing about Grayscale is their dedication to their fans. Not only are they interactive with them online, but they go out of their way to connect with people and make sure their fans get to be a part of their journey. I became a fan last March and have already had the opportunity to meet them twice (benefit of following smaller bands, I’m just saying). When they make big announcements, they’re always a little cryptic and dramatic, making it even more fun to speculate about what they have planned. In August, they announced they were hosting a mysterious “pop-up week,” during which they hosted one pop-up every night in different cities across the country. They provided the bare minimum of information, not going far beyond the address and entrance requirements for the performances. All I knew going in was it was in celebration of the release of their newest album Nella Vita. It was full of activities I never would have anticipated. There was a piñata in the shape of one of their heads (a different band member for each pop-up), a mini acoustic performance, a giant cut-out of the album cover for pictures, a station set up to listen to the album (which had not yet been released) and the opportunity to buy the album (three weeks early) and pop-up exclusive merch. After talking to the guys, it became clear that they absolutely love what they’re doing and love meeting their fans. Plus, the lead singer is a huge Notre Dame fan.
They aren’t just unique in their approach to fan interactions; they also have the strongest merch game of any band I’ve ever followed. They drop new stuff every month in small batches and they cover a variety of styles and types of items, from t-shirts to beach towels to jerseys and more. Check out this article about their unusual business model.
Overall, they’re great musicians with huge hearts and you should definitely go check them out. Try not to spend too much money on their merch!
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Image 1, 2 provided by author