Well, we certainly weren’t expecting to hear that the only tables left in the Crafthouse Stage & Grill were at the rear of the long room, near the merchandise table, given it was a rainy Tuesday night in Pittsburgh. But when we arrived at the Faster Pussycat show, that was the case, as it appeared that local favorites The Cheats and Royal Honey brought the crowd in early.
It has been a minute since we’ve visited the venue, which often caters to theme nights and cover acts in addition to national touring groups. Crafthouse offers a nice range of viewing options from table seating, a large bar space mid-room, and couch seating, before stepping down into ‘the pit’ in front of the stage allowing one go get up close or sit back and have a meal or a conversation.
Ironically, our last visit was for the Glam Slam Metal Jam tour featuring Enuff ‘Z Nuff, Pretty Boy Floyd and The Midnight Devils almost a year ago to the date! This is noteworthy for a couple of reasons:
For one, you’ll want to mark your calendars for the return of the Glam Slam Metal Jam tour on July 6th which will feature Enuff ‘Z Nuff along with The Quireboys and Bad Marriage (which now features former Tesla guitarist Tommy Skeoch).
Additionally, we want to point out that Pretty Boy Floyd’s Nick Mason ‘The Living Dead Drummer’, could be found behind the kit once again on Tuesday, but in this case, it was with supporting act Jason Charles Miller.
While you wouldn’t know it from the frontman’s beard and cowboy hat or the jammin’ country-rock vibe of his self-titled band, Nick tells us that he and Jason have known each other for quite some time from goth metal circles, as their paths crossed when Jason began fronting the industrial band Godhead (which some may recall as once being signed to Marilyn Manson’s label Posthuman Records in the mid-nineties.) Jason is also known for his voiceover and video game work, which includes a feature in the acclaimed Cyberpunk 2077 for Xbox and Playstation.
With that history in mind, one can certainly see why Faster Pussycat recruited Jason’s band to support their current tour. And drawing influences from the likes of Johnny Cash and Neil Young, the artist celebrated early country-rock genre success like the feature of his first single “You Get What You Pay For,” on HBO’s True Blood. So, as one would have anticipated, it was a treat to catch Jason and his band live.
In the vein of artists like southern rock veterans like Lynyrd Skynyrd and modern rock favorites like Black Stone Cherry, Jason Charles Miller’s band delivered an Americana groove that kept us engaged with originals and surprising covers like the quick and upbeat Social Distortion version of the Johnny Cash classic “Ring of Fire.”Despite the artist’s industrial roots, one would have thought he would have fit in better at a show like the Jackyl performance that we saw last week than in support of glam rock icons Faster Pussycat, but the crowd was more than engaged by Jason Charles Miller’s performance.
Not only were the fans having fun, but the band was too. There were nothing but positive vibes coming from the stage as locks were flying and feet were tapping. In fact, one of the coolest things about shooting Jason Charles Miller was that the stage set-up made for some fun interactions between all members of the band, including frontman Jason and Nick, who was front and center (instead of hidden in the shadows of a rear-stage drum riser).
Jason is joined by Gary Joseph Potter and Allie Kay on additional guitars, Louis Collins on bass, and as mentioned earlier, Nick Mason on drums. The band can be found in support of headliners Faster Pussycat on this run of upcoming tour dates.
There is no denying that Faster Pussycat consistently brings the sleaze, with anthems like “Bathroom Wall” and “Cathouse.” As such, they have been a frequent stop on our itinerary since we started this magazine. While frontman Taime Downe remains the only consistent force in the band across the last three decades, drummer Chad Stewart and bassist Danny ‘Slim Tender’ Nordhaul have been going strong for (dare I say it and make us all feel old) a quarter of a century!
The trio is joined by Sam Bam Kolton who is also known for his work with Budderside and Dorothy as well as young newcomer Mihailo Lukic (La Noize, The Voltz). He takes the slot left by Ronnie Simmons (Rose Tattoo, Richie Ramone) as Ronnie recently returned home to Australia.
Just as that cigarette-smoking cat logo foreshadows, debauchery is sure to ensue at a Faster Pussycat show. After all, we just love to sing along as Danny ‘Slim Tender’ Nordhaul takes over the microphone to belt out The Supersuckers classic “Pretty F*cked Up,” or when Taime Downe breaks out into the Betty Blowtorch favorite “Shut Up and Fuck,” what can I say…it’s a ‘family’ tradition!
From the start with “Jack the Bastard” to the finale of “Babylon,” there wasn’t much in the way of slowing down that night, with the one exception of “House of Pain.” Other highlights included their cover of the Carly Simon hit “You’re So Vain,” and a newer addition to the set “Like a Ghost,” a new single, which debuted last year.
Faster Pussycat currently has shows announced through the beginning of July, with upcoming dates to include 6/16- Dingbatz- Clifton, NJ, 6/17- The Vault- New Bedford, MA, and 6/18- The Chance- Poughkeepsie, NY. And for those who just can’t get enough, they have special VIP packages available on their website.
Follow us @ThePureRockShop for more captures, recaps, news, and interviews from of local and regional concerts and festivals including Chris Jericho’s Kuarantine.
Recap and Live Photos by Editor and founder Kara Marie Uhrlen for The Pure Rock Shop. Posted on 6/15/2023.
