My Face Hurt From Smiling
Every so often a concert ruins you for other bands. This week, Fantastic Cat live at Mr. Smalls in Pittsburgh did exactly that, and Mark is pretty sure he is about to become insufferable about it.
Mr. Smalls is an old church turned music venue, which feels about right for a conversion experience. Mark first featured Fantastic Cat on the show back in 2024 with “Later On” from Now That’s What I Call Fantastic Cat, comparing them to The Wild Feathers. Seeing them in person confirmed the comparison and then blew right past it.
The care started before anyone played a note. Every amp, drum, keyboard, and pedal board had its own small amber light, which made the stage feel finished and oddly cozy. Then the band walked out in matching white coveralls, each with a different colored bandana tied as a neckerchief. They looked like a band, not five guys who wandered in off the street. That kind of intention is rare right now, and it raised already high expectations.
The show cleared the bar easily. Tight harmonies, high energy, sharp songwriting, and a constant rotation of instruments that played like choreography. Song ends, swap guitars, retune, go. Multi-instrumentalist John Paul covered keys, accordion, and trumpet, while the rest traded drums, bass, and lead vocals. Each voice is great alone. Together they are something close to magic, and the whole thing was funny on top of it.
Mark left with a CD, a “Folk Rock for Pussies” shirt, and a sore face from grinning, then ordered the rest of the catalog online the next day. Mrs. Songs That Don’t Suck didn’t hesitate when he announced his new obsession: she’s in too. Also a shout-out to Janet, a listener who had been telling Mark to go for a while. She was right. If Fantastic Cat comes within driving distance, go.
The Songs
“God Made a Farmer” by Ok Cowgirl opens the list, since the NYC band opened the Pittsburgh show. Mark walked in cold and walked out a fan. The songs are laid back but carefully built, with three guitarists layering and playing off each other. It comes from their 2026 release Rhinestone Cowgirl, and it’s a good front door to the rest of their catalog.
Any band that invents a word as good as “Televisionary” earns a listen, and Sharp Class backs it up. This is a straight-ahead rocker with pop rock polish and some modern punk grit, built on a riff that hooks you early. The secret weapon is the tambourine. It drives the chorus and bridge so hard that the song would feel hollow without it.
For Opal brings the atmosphere with “All the Flowers in Time Bend Towards the Sun,” a blend of indie and alternative with real pop appeal. The singer treats her voice as an instrument as much as a lead, and the verses carry a whiff of early Radiohead. Smart dynamics throughout. Put on headphones and turn the lights off.
Closing things out is “Concrete Into Dust” from The Marches, found through an Instagram ad of all places. Moody lyrics, moody vocals, driving drums, and a keyboard or violin accent that adds just the right texture. It reminds Mark of Uncle Quid, a band he played in back in the day, which is a strong endorsement. Expect a deeper dive on these guys.
