F L A U N T
My first introduction to Pixel Grip was admittedly a little late, coming just recently toward the end of 2021 at the Substance Festival in LA. I saw a lot of incredible bands that weekend, but Pixel Grip instantly stood out. I’ve been eagerly looking forward to seeing them again as soon as possible.
I recently got that chance in Louisville, KY at the Art Sanctuary, an impressive sprawling non-profit, community-oriented, arts collective.
Pixel Grip seems to effortlessly do what so many attempt and ultimately fail at. They embody both the lineage and what could be the future of the genre. I don’t say that easily. There are a lot of otherwise good bands out there right now that don’t stand out quite like this.
One of the factors that gives them the edge is a truly real and unbelievable live show. They’re stripped down, electronic, punchy, unapologetically raw, and to the point. I could tell that they’ve been putting in the time on the road. There’s some old wisdom that touring can turn a good band into a great band. This is one of those bands, and it’s happening now.
Pixel Grip is currently on tour with Patriarchy. U.S. dates continue into June.
Opening the night was Louisville shoegaze band Vyva Melinkolya. Fronted by Angel Diaz, this somewhat alarming powerhouse of grit and upwardly spiraling euphoria was a chaos fueled dreamscape. Count me in as a devout fan. Anybody even slightly into this genre needs to pay attention, there is so much to fall in love with here.
For more on Pixel Grip and Viva Melinkolya, you can visit them on Bandcamp.
