Giovanni Mori | Posted June 10th, 2026
Last month, Pittsburgh’s highly anticipated Millvale Music Festival made its return in 2026, with many local musicians and vendors coming together once again, celebrating art and music with over 300 acts across 30 stages. This year, I had the chance to spend nearly the entire two days on May 15th and 16th to enjoy performances from personal favorite bands and artists, as well as finding some new ones to add to my playlists for later, let’s get into it!
histrionic
Photo by Giovanni Mori
First up was Histrionic, kicking off Friday’s lineup at the Playground Dropout stage with their blend of progressive rock and emo. Their set contained a unique mix complete with emotional melodies, screams, and an absolutely feral rhythm section to keep listeners on their toes. Song choices from the trio contained roughly half new material planned for a future release, and half songs from their 2025 debut album, Architect’s Leap, which I ended up purchasing a CD of to listen to at home. Needless to say, after listening, when new shows and music are announced, I will be coming back for more, check out one of my favorite tracks, “That Shakespeherian Rag,” below.
YouTube: Histrionic – Topic
crash nebula
Photo by Giovanni Mori
Depending on what generation you grew up in, let me first say no, I’m not talking about the fictional superhero from the animated kids show The Fairly OddParents. I’m of course talking about the five piece band serving Pittsburgh with their modern spin on pop punk as early as 2023. The songs are full of lightning quick Travis Barker style drumbeats, big power chords, and melodies that excel the typical range for a male singer, perfect for fans of that new age emo sound reminiscent of notable contemporary bands like State Champs and Neck Deep. The genre is known for its loyal fanbase around the world, and when it comes to Crash Nebula, the Pittsburgh music scene will often point to them for pop punk and emo goodness.
YouTube: Crash Nebula
aloner
Photo by Giovanni Mori
Up next was Aloner at the Harold’s Haunt stage, and if you’re into the indie garage rock type of sound, this may be the next band for you! The songs, while shorter than the typical song length, still pack a punch with loud guitars and deep lyrics that’ll be enough to keep you hooked and wanting more. There’s plenty of music to go around in their discography, which won’t take you long to sit with, but think of it as all the more reason to check out a show! One of my personal favorite songs from the band was “Overdue” from their 2019 album, In Between, listen below!
YouTube: “Aloner”
scrum force
Photo by Giovanni Mori
I was only able to catch the last couple of songs from the thrashy punk metal band, Scrum Force, back at the Playground Dropout, but luckily, I couldn’t have picked a better couple of songs to watch. Their energetic blend of comedy with the loudest guitars ever heard by human ears is very entertaining to watch, and evening listening to the songs at home makes me wish I was at a show wildly throwing my fists around in a mosh pit. Look no further than songs like “Pittsburgh” or “PBR (Love Song)” to capture what Scrum Force is all about. And before you ask, yes, that is a juggler in the photo above and he is essential to the sound.
YouTube: Scrum Force – Topic
There are still a few bands to cover over the fun music filled weekend, so while you wait for part two, listen to the bands above and follow their socials for more, and remember to always support local music!
Sources and Other Links
“Aloner – Overdue (official video)” YouTube, uploaded by Aloner, 28 Nov. 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsUHkorJZQ8&list=RDhsUHkorJZQ8&start_radio=1
“Crash Nebula Too Far Gone / Worth Our Worry Music Video” YouTube, uploaded by Crash Nebula, 5 Mar. 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_WHX_Wo_VQ&list=RDK_WHX_Wo_VQ&start_radio=1
“Pittsburgh” YouTube, uploaded by Scrum Force – Topic, 4 Apr. 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTuWZSwrQfA&list=RDOTuWZSwrQfA&start_radio=1
“That Shakespeherian Rag” YouTube, uploaded by Histrionic – Topic, 8 May 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vG73CeGsTLE&list=RDvG73CeGsTLE&start_radio=1
