Last Thursday night, Royale Lynn and Pretty Pity made their way to San Antonio for the final Texas date on the “Royale Pain In The A$$” tour. This was my first time seeing either band live, and an in-your-face, no-barricade show made me even more excited. Inside, fans in all black mingled with others in cowboy hats and boots. The mix of styles reflected Royale Lynn’s music journey over the past five years, from her country beginnings to a heavier sound inspired by the metal and rock music she grew up listening to. Longtime fans traded stories about seeing the self-proclaimed "Redneck Rockstar" last November with Elijah and expressed how excited they were to finally see Pretty Pity’s first performance in this city.
Pretty Pity has been gaining attention across the South with their upbeat rhythms, catchy melodies, and vocalist Tani Jade’s versatile vocal range. I swear, if you’d walked into the venue mid-song, you might have thought Mariah Carey joined a pop-rock band. I first discovered their music on TikTok and was so impressed by their live performances and how much fun they were having that I knew I had to see the band in person. “Hate On You” came in bright and direct, instantly pulling everyone’s attention to the stage. Their hooks landed effortlessly as guitarist Billy DeGuzman delivered a soaring solo that led into a break with drummer Hernando Torrealba’s drum roll cueing an a cappella before the full band kicked back in to carry the song to its finish.
“This song is our love letter to every single one of you. If you’re here, you’re making our dreams come true,” Tani announced before the band launched into “PUSH” without losing any momentum.
The band’s confidence stood out throughout the set, with every member playing like they belonged on that stage. Tani kept fans cheering with dance moves reminiscent of Shakira as they waved their hands side to side in the air. The energy carried through from “Fast Love" to “IDK,” with the crowd cheering and singing along as Tani hopped offstage to dance in the pit before jumping back up on stage.
One of my favorite parts of their performance was hearing my favorite song, “Whiskey,” and singing along word for word. Warm, rich bass tones and bright guitars rounded out the sound, while emotion in Tani’s voice made every line hit home. Whoever this song is about, shame on you!
The band closed out with “Sweet Tooth," which had enough edge and bounce to leave a final impression. By the time Pretty Pity walked offstage, they had done what every opener hopes to do: won over new fans and left the crowd eager for the rest of the night. I’m excited for the future of this band and will definitely be making it out to their shows the next time they’re in Texas!
Pretty Pity live at the Paper Tiger in San Antonio, TX | Photo by Ryan Cagle @stilltonecreative
As the house lights dimmed for Royale Lynn, the excitement inside the Paper Tiger reached another level. A raised backdrop loomed over the stage behind the drum set, with ‘Royale Lynn’ in all bright red letters. The band’s entrance was accompanied by the familiar “Genie In A Bottle” by Christina Aguilera, creating a fun and unexpected moment before they launched into a heavy performance of "WTCH."
Leading into their next song, Royale dedicated “Death Wish” to all the first responders in the crowd before igniting the room with a thunderous performance and bringing out Tani Jade of Pretty Pity onstage to sing alongside her, completely shifting the atmosphere and vibe for the rest of the night.
From there, the set balanced between fan favorites and deep cuts, as well as a nostalgic nod to one of Royale’s early inspirations: Flyleaf. Before launching into “All Around Me,” she shared what the band meant to her growing up.
“Is it okay if we go back 20 years and sing a song?” She asked. “So I grew up in the middle of Ontario, Canada. I had a CD Walkman, and I would listen to this girl over and over again. So I was like, you know what? One day I really want to sing like her. So now on my first full-length headlining tour across America, I invite you to sing some Flyleaf with me tonight!” The crowd joined her in a singalong while headbanging along to the music.
Throughout the night, Royale Lynn shared stories with the crowd and expressed gratitude for everyone showing up. She thanked everyone who bought a ticket and merch, joined in the livestreams, and even mentioned that some fans brought them Pokemon cards on a few stops. At that moment, I noticed a kid in the crowd smiling as she clutched a Needoh in her hand. It turns out she had planned to give it to Royale later that night!
“We celebrated not only my birthday but Scott’s birthday, too. It’s been so much fun, and I just can’t thank you enough for spending your hard-earned money to be here tonight. I’m so grateful that we get to do this and that I get to wake up and play music for a living. Truly, it’s one of my favorite things in the world. I have one little song I’m going to sing for you all, and then I’m going to burn it to the ground for the rest of the time, okay? If you all like Evanescence, you’re going to love this next one. It’s the title track of my debut record—Black Magic.” - Royale Lynn
Royale Lynn held true to her statement of burning the house down with "Altar" and "Black Magic" sounding even bigger live, with drummer Doug McKenna's pounding drums and Scott Buchanan's aggressive guitar tones leaving the crowd pumped and ready for more.
As the night started to fade to the end of the set, Royale shared, "It's our last show here in Texas. I can't thank you enough for being here. I just want to say thank you to each and every one of you for supporting my dream. I started off in the country world in the middle of nowhere, Canada, and I went to Nashville for 10 years to write songs. All I can say is that my journey started in the country world, but I've been around hard rock my entire life. I love that I can help represent women in the metal world. My life changed after I wrote the heaviest country song, and it was wild to have my first song on the radio. I grew up with bands like Seether, Creed, and Flyleaf, and playing at Aftershock was such a huge deal. I love you all so much for showing up for us and Pretty Pity. By popular demand, we brought this song back into the set. This is Redneck Rockstar."
The audience danced, cried, and sang along to "Redneck Rockstar" before she closed out the night with "Greed." I found myself a new fan of country-metal music after this day and jammed to her songs all the way home. I'm crossing my fingers and hoping to see a tour with some of her favorite bands she mentioned for a full circle moment, or even Bilmuri in the future, because I believe their music would complement each other pretty well.
Royale Lynn live at the Paper Tiger in San Antonio, TX | Photos by Ryan Cagle @stilltonecreative
Royale Lynn and Pretty Pity made a stormy Thursday night in San Antonio one to remember. From Tani dancing with the crowd to Royale playing guitar on stage and sharing the music that inspired her, both acts made the night feel personal while giving everyone plenty of reasons to sing along. Although Pretty Pity had their final show of the tour, followed by a 16-hour drive back home, Royale Lynn continues the "Royale Pain In The A$$" tour with four more dates in Phoenix, Arizona; Los Angeles, California; Henderson, Nevada; and Denver, Colorado. If you're near one of those stops, go catch them while you can. This is a show worth being up front for.
