This is No Place Like Home. The point of this column is to interview bands about their hometowns and why they love where they’re from. When traveling it is always best to have a local to direct you to the spots worth spending your time and hard earned money.
When one of our readers travels to a place that is foreign to them they will have some solid recommendations from an awesome source, one of their favorite bands!
I know I look forward to checking out some of these places and am sure that there are many others who would be interested.
Eventually the intention is to have a full blown travel guide here at B.G.M.!
Most of the rock music that I enjoy tends to be heavy. Heavy can take on all sorts of forms and invoke numerous feelings in the listener. Chaotic fast-paced anxiety-inducing heavy. Energetic heavy that drives one to crush beers and smash their head into the wall. Evil heavy that sends the imagination wild with scenes suited for nightmares. Melodic and punishing heavy that results in eyes closed and lowering of the head. I love them all.
Spotlights engulf the listener with uplifting spaced-out atmospheres that leave the listener feeling they can accomplish anything.
An empowering and positive heavy.
Spotlights’ newest record, Love & Decay, contains eight humongous tracks (nine if you get the physical copy!). They present the type of huge that Sigur Ros or Mogwai can craft. The type that doesn’t passively visit the listener’s ear but rather the listener steps into the song itself.
Residing in one of Spotlight’s songs makes time feel suspended, with any thought of being on someone else’s schedule evaporating.
Cascades of soaring guitars, hypnotic bass, and driving drums are accompanied by dreamy shoegaze-ish vocals, compliments of Sarah (bass) and Mario Quintero (guitar/synths). They take everything I love about Kitsune era Marriages and make it even BIGGER.
As in-your-face as these jams can be, that isn’t the attribute that stands out the most. The sonic tapestry that Spotlights weaves creates a sense of reflection. It has a chameleon-like effect; shifting-shape depending on each listener’s specific life circumstance they are dealing with in that exact moment they hit play on this record. Whether work has you down, social or family life has got you on the verge, or you are just completely overwhelmed with the times we live in: Love & Decay resonates a sense of hope and potential.
Rating: 5/5
You can pick up a pink flume LP on Ipecac’s web-store HERE. You want that physical copy only track “Sleepwalker”. Believe me. The more Spotlights the better. Some of you lucky ducks in USA get to see them in a town near you this summer! Don’t miss them.
I want to thank Spotlights for having Sarah Quintero (bass, vocals) take part in No Place Like Home! LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE YOUR RECORD!
Where does Spotlights call home and how long have you been there?
Pittsburgh! (Munhall to be exact). We moved here about 4 months ago.
Chris still lives in Brooklyn though.
Are there any attractions you would consider touristy that you would also consider a can’t-miss for visitors?
Hmm.. well we haven’t done it yet but we really want to ride up the Monongahela Incline. Supposed to be the best view of the city. There are also some great museums here. The Andy Warhol is one that’s still on the list. Mario works at the Carnegie Science Center too and that place is pretty great.
If you are hosting friends or family for a weekend, where would you bring people for grub?
Onion Maiden!! It’s a really good vegan restaurant in Allentown. We’re slowly finding other gems in the city.
A key to any hometown is a local watering hole. Any spots that you like to go for drinks? Breweries, dive bars, distilleries…whatever floats your boat.
We have a couple walking distance spots we love like Drafthouse and Wolf’s Pub. Voodoo Brewery is great too. It’s built out in an old fire station and their beers are delicious. There are a lot of places we’ve been wanting to try too but we’re kinda broke so it’s gonna be a bit until we get the list checked off.
Music is life. What music venues should people be checking the calendars for shows to catch?
There are a bunch! Smiling Moose is good for a small rock club type room, Mr. Smalls Theater and Funhouse are great and seem to host good touring bands. Spirit has a great sounding room, Rex Theater is a staple. Black Forge Coffee just opened a new larger rooming a new location, in addition to their small space at their original location and it rules.
After working up a sweat at a good show are there any late night spots to grab a bite or a night cap?
There’s a ton of stuff around but we like to get back close to home and hit the Drafthouse in Munhall. $3 Coors lights.. so duh.. 🙂
The morning after can be rough. Where is your go-to for breakfast and/or coffee?
We’re still in search of the best place. We tend to make breakfast and coffee at home but we have a great little diner a couple of blocks away called Falces. Super old school style diner. Onion Maiden has great brunch on Saturday’s and Black Forge has the best coffee in town.
To get out of town life, what are the nature-based options surrounding your city? Any good hikes, camping and other fun outdoors stuff to do?
