Tady: Feeble Little Horse stampedes toward success; Jelly Roll satisfied

Pittsburgh has nurtured its share of local bands that have gone national.

From heavy hitters Code Orange to soulful rockers The Commonheart; and punk-rock stalwarts Anti-Flag to emerging Americana artists Buffalo Rose, the contemporary scene is well represented by bands from the 412 area code.

Feeble Little Horse is the next 'Burgh band on the brink of national stature.

As glowing reviews in Pitchfork, NPR, Paste, Stereogum, the New York Times and Consequence of Sound all have indicated, Feeble Little Horse's brand of off-kilter noise-pop is a sound to be reckoned with, as the band embarks on a coast-to-coast tour launching June 10 at the hometown Thunderbird Music Hall in Lawrenceville.

A night earlier, the Pittsburgh quartet releases its much-anticipated 11-track album, " Girl with Fish ," reeling in descriptions like "messy excitement," "explosive," "delightful little moments of tension" and "snappy melodies in heavy doses of distortion."

Feeble Little Horse member Lydia Slocum describes the single "Pocket" as a "song about being single and not knowing what to do with myself. I got in the habit of showing someone affection and I liked it but then that ended, and I just had all these kisses and hugs burning a hole in my pocket. I felt locked out often and like I was just stuck haunted by my old love, and it felt like a dead man that wouldn't leave me alone because the thoughts of it were so intrusive and repetitive."

"Pocket" brings all sorts of textures and time changes and mood swings, with mid-song rapping by Slocum and a thrilling guitar freakout finale from Feeble Little Horse's Sebastian Kinsler, who said in a press release, "right now our problem is I wrote and recorded the guitars while on post-surgery painkillers, so we have no idea how to play it live."

He's got a week to figure it out before the Pittsburgh launch of a tour hitting hipster havens like Brooklyn, Austin, Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, Ore., and even the Grog Shop in Cleveland.

Tickets cost $16 for the Thunderbird show that begins at 8 p.m. with Pittsburgh singer Merce Lemon and local band Gina Gory.

"It's official: This is Jelly Roll's night," country artist Tenille Arts said last Thursday at Rivers Casino, and she wasn't kidding.

The capacity crowd of 2,000 people at Y-108's all-acoustic 8-Man Jam had just let loose with a "Jelly Roll ... Jelly Roll ..." chant after the red-hot singer had performed his smash-hit "Son of a Sinner," which he dedicated to folks like him, dwelling somewhere between right and wrong.

Having flown into Pittsburgh and arriving at the casino shortly before showtime, Jelly Roll captivated the crowd with his relatable, real-deal songs that have skyrocketed him to fame, like "Need a Favor," where he calls himself out for only talking to God when he's in trouble.

The 38-year-old Tennessean's warm smile and thoughtful praise for the singers on stage with him ― Dustin Lynch, Brett Young and Arts ― endeared him further to fans, many of whom are eager to see Jelly Roll return our way Aug. 15, when he headlines The Pavilion at Star Lake.

He made a fan out of me.

So did Arts, the 28-year-old Saskatchewan native with an amazingly full voice and sharp songwriting acumen, who shined on "I Hate This" and her wisely chosen "Jealous of Me," a powerful anthem of pining for a former lover whom you later came to realize was almost perfect.

Also impressive at 8-Man Jam ― maybe it's time to update that name ― was 2013 "The Voice" champ Danielle Bradberry, showcasing her pretty and powerful vocal pipes, and another of the four opening acts, Shane Profitt, whose ruminations on faith and fun were a good fit with Jelly Roll fans.

It was also great to see and hear The Hobbs Sisters, the Nashville-by-way-of-Peters Township siblings whose harmonizing and lyricism, particularly on the People magazine praised "Harder Than a Diamond," connected with the crowd.

Multi-platinum chart-topper Lynch delivered, too, on hits like "Small Town Boy" and "Thinking 'Bout You."

Move over Pink Floyd ... here comes Laser Taylor Swift.

The Carnegie Science Center's laser shows ― traditionally set to the music of Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin or other hard-rock heroes ― now offer a planetarium experience where laser beams and visual effects dance, flash and spiral psychedelically to the melodies of Swift songs.

Laser Taylor Swift matinees start at 2 daily, covering hits from all of Swift's eras. Additional laser shows will take place at 4 p.m. June 12–June 15 during the pop superstar's Eras Tour weekend at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh. Tickets are $7 at CarnegieScienceCeneter.org.

Laser projection artists do amazing work ― trust me, my first college internship was for Buhl Planetarium's Laserium shows in the science center's previous North Side location. Those artists can shape and mold laser beams into cool images like hearts, fireworks and daggers.

A tip of the hat if the Laser Taylor Swift projectionist carves out a colorful scarf for Swift's famous "All Too Well."

Meanwhile, you can catch "Laser Dark Side of the Moon," celebrating the 50th anniversary of Pink Floyd's masterpiece album, at 4 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at the science center.

Beaver County Times columnist Dr. Lori Verderame appears in a new Netflix show, "The King of Collectibles."

The reality TV series takes viewers inside a leading auction house specializing in rare collectibles.

Verderame is no stranger to TV, having also showcased her antiques appraisal expertise on History Channel's "The Curse of Oak Island" and "Pawn Stars do America."

Scott Tady is entertainment editor at The Times and is easy to reach at [email protected].