Uncut Collective Media
Grayscale Shine at The Van Buren Ahead of Mayday Parade’s Anniversary Set
May 6, 2025 • by Phyoe Thaung
By the time Grayscale took the stage at The Van Buren on May 5, the floor was already packed, the last few stragglers still making their way in from the warm Phoenix night. Slotted as support for Mayday Parade’s Sweet Cheers to 20 Years tour, Grayscale didn’t ease the crowd in—they grabbed the moment and ran with it. The Philadelphia natives turned a support slot into a set that felt anything but secondary.
They kicked things off with “Kept Me Alive,” a burst of energy that set the pace early. From there, the set moved with precision—“Through the Landslide” and “Dirty Bombs” landed back-to-back, their hooks slicing clean through the heavy air inside The Van Buren. The band didn’t waste time with small talk. They let the music do the work, and the crowd followed their lead without hesitation.
By the time “In Violet” rang out, the crowd had moved past casual curiosity. Heads nodded in unison, voices rose in scattered harmony, and the energy in the room settled into something more communal than performative.
The second half of the set leaned heavier into mood and melody. “Some Kind of Magic” and “Dance With Your Ghost” added a weight that wasn’t heavy, but it lingered all the same. When “Fever Dream” hit, the energy picked up again, a final push before the closer.
​
They ended with “Not Afraid to Die,” a newer track but one that didn’t feel out of place. If anything, it landed like a statement—Grayscale isn’t interested in nostalgia. They’re still writing songs meant to stick.
