The Violet Burning, Shade, and Monarch live at Rosebud Cafe in Pittsburg, 09-08-2003.

I had never traveled this far for a show before. Four long hours on the PA Turnpike to get there and four long hours back. I had also never been to the Rosebud Cafe before. From the outside, Rosebud Cafe looks like a little hole in the wall type of place. It's kind of dingy inside with a bar for drinks and tables for sitting. But the atmosphere is quaint.

I came mainly for The Violet Burning, as I had heard nothing of the two opening bands before. It turns out they are both local Pittsburg bands. My general impression of local bands at shows is usually negative. Either they're playing some kind of bland pop punk or emo.

Monarch came out first. They are recently signed to Northern Records, the same label as The Violet Burning. It took me a few songs to really gather my opinion on them. They have a keyboard player, which is usually a warning sign to me. However, this guy had three main keyboards he used, plus a smaller one off to the back which was used on occation. And unlike most bands with keyboards, he used them tastefully. Often keyboard players resort to really horrid sounding. Like a piano sound, only it really only sounds like a keyboard trying to sound like a piano. And while there was a little bit of that in Monarch's set, it was mainly more electronic sounds (ie, a keyboard being a keyboard) being utilized.

Their guitar player and lead singer mainly performed sitting down on a stool. It's rare that an electric guitar player chooses to do that. He would sometimes use "artsy" hand motions, perhaps to enhance the mood of the song or to convey some kind of feeling.