Rave Ami

Rave Ami are the loudest rock ‘n roll band in Pittsburgh. The power trio of guitarist/vocalist Joe Praksti, bassist Pat O’Toole, and drummer/vocalist Evan Meindl play a room-rattling push-pit of haggard grunge, beer-stained power-pop, and fuzz-drunk indie-rock. Their 2018 sophomore album, cheekily titled All Great Bands Break Up (produced by Adam Meisterhans of Rozwell Kid), is rife with sticky melodies, tasteful harmonies, virtuosic drumming patterns, and subtly brilliant basslines. And then they did it again on their explosive 2019 single, Or Alike.

Yes, they’re carrying the torch for rock’s feral forebearers by turning every set into a raucous party, but they’ve left all traces of macho bravado in the dust, translating the genre’s freewheeling lifestyle through the sort of genuine kindness and respect that’s needed today, more than ever, in the world they navigate.