On Thursday December 14th Knuckle Puck and Real Friends came to Mr. Smalls Theatre in Pittsburgh PA, for the second to last stop on their co-headline fall tour. They were joined in company by bands One Step Closer and Arms Length. The tour consisted of 28 stops with them wrapping up in Buffalo, New York. Knuckle Puck and Real Friends are both coming off brand new highly anticipated albums. Knuckle puck’s album ‘Losing What we Love’ made its way to #2 for Current Hard Music Albums on the Billboard charts.
In regards to the show, the cohosts were not the only ones to perform well. Both opening bands caught my attention early on. They completely rocked out with Arms length warming up the crowd first. Arms length actually just announced their first headlining tour, the Wax Bodega Tour for 2024 with friends. I highly recommended catching one of there shows next year. Next up was One Step Closer and it was a whole different vibe in Mr. Smalls theatre. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many people crowd surfing. At one point the show stopped due to the security guard grabbing a guy who ran on stage to try to jump back into the crowd. The band was furious that security had stopped him and was yelling “LET THEM HAVE FUN.” It actually was super dope to see and they instantly picked right back up where they left off, providing high energy.
At this point the crowd was ready for Real Friends and Knuckle Puck. Real friends went first and played their list of countless hits. This was their second time in Pittsburgh this year, following up their headlining act for the opening night of the Four Chord Festival in the summer, only this time with new music as well. Real Friends sounds amazing live and had a lot of fans singing along. Next up was Knuckle Puck. I’ve personally been a fan of them since their debut album in 2015 and for some reason this was my first time seeing them perform. I’ve been completely missing out because they were awesome. The lead vocalist Joe Taylor was jumping around stage non-stop constantly providing high energy and while the fans engaged, he would put the mic out to the crowd to sing along. Fans came prepared and already knew the words to the new album. Everything about the set was dope, from the lighting to the smallest details on set. They had things like old school lamps and picture frames placed within the stage which gave it a nostalgic but yet organic feel.
Overall, the entire show was amazing and I got to see two of my favorite bands play in the same night. Of course my review may sound biased to some, but I can assure you that Knuckle pucks dynamic performance, Real Friends emotional connection with the fans, bands like Arms Length and One Step Closer throwing down, made it a show worth attending for any avid rock enthusiast.
Live from the Pitt 