Emily Fritz | a&e editor

As one of the small but mighty venues in the Pittsburgh area, the Roxian Theatre in McKees Rocks saw the return of alt-indie artist Ricky Montgomery as he launched his four-show “Tiny Tour” on Monday night.

Montgomery rose to stardom when his songs “Mr. Loverman” and “Line Without a Hook” went viral on the Internet four years after the release of his first album, “Montgomery Ricky” (2016).

After a disappointing rain check in October, the indie-pop hits finally returned to his Pittsburgh fans.

Longtime fans Rebecca Schaefer, 22, and Kate Morris, 23, had been following Montgomery since his initial TikTok stardom.

“The music was a lot more impactful … and I appreciate it more [in-person],” Morris told The Duke. “I loved his energy, stage presence [and] body language.”

Montgomery’s set opened with  “Line Without a Hook,” which has gone platinum, but Montgomery also brought songs from his sophomore album “Rick” (2023) and some unreleased tracks to the stage, like “Change,” which will likely evolve between now and official recording, he told fans.

As he paced the stage, he conducted the crowd during “Talk to You” so that the audience-sung backup vocal responses could be picked up on his mic.

His sound is reminiscent of mid-2000 emo-pop, but with a more whimsical element that crafts somber tunes and light listening. On streaming services, his discography makes for an easy listen, but in person, Montgomery brought the energy up so his crowd could make the most of their time in the pit.

Morris and Schaefer felt that the venue provided a solid opportunity to get close to the artist, and the crowd was easy to work through as they moved from the raised platform behind the sound booth to a spot only yards away from the stage.

“Music is such an individualized experience,” Schaefer said. “I think it’s really cool to see other people impacted by the same music that you listen to, especially because this isn’t the kind of music you would just jam out to with your friends all the time.”
Part of what boosted the experience was the smaller attendance pool, according to the theatre’s general manager, Tara Friel.

“When you have a show cancel and it moves to a different date, less people will show up,” she said. “By the time the second time rolls around, it’s harder for them to come out, for whatever reason there may be.”

Although the venue’s capacity tops out at 1,400 people, Friel said that only 40% to 45% of available tickets were sold for Monday’s show.

The lighter attendance created lots of room for dancing and later, jumping.

During his encore, which Montgomery teased during the last song of his normal set, the singer-songwriter shouted “JUMP!” for the final 30 seconds of “Mr. Loverman,” launching the crowd into a frenzy for the show’s finale.

Montgomery’s rise to popularity was a long awaited one, but his success later plateaued when he was dropped by Warner Records. Disappointed, he took to social media to talk about the push for virality in the music industry. A few months later, he was back on with Sony Music Publishing.

While Morris and Schaefer became familiar with Montgomery on TikTok, they were quick to point to social media as a perpetuator of instant success and the difficulties that come with it.

“Going viral on TikTok makes it easy to discover new artists but if you listen to the rest of their discography and you don’t really like the rest of it, or if you don’t even like the rest of the song, it makes it hard to listen to,” Morris said. “It makes it easy to go viral, hard to keep a [fan] base.”

For his dedicated fans, the musical journey hasn’t been as tumultuous, as Montgomery’s sound has started to break into a more mature, self-reflective indie folk sound.

With Pittsburgh nestled between Cleveland and Philadelphia, it was especially refreshing for Schaefer, as the pair didn’t have to travel far.

Other artists who make stops at the Roxian, Friel pointed out, aren’t always so lucky.

If it weren’t for the oversight of Live Nation, the venue would have a hard time breaking even on ticket sales, as they don’t have the space or bidding power to host more popular headliners.

In an effort to branch out to younger demographics, the Roxian Theatre is starting to offer a student discount. More details can be found on their social media accounts or at the box office.

Montgomery’s ‘Tiny Tour’ will make a stop in South Burlington, Vt. this evening before its final show in Orono, Maine on Friday.

Emily Fritz can be reached at fritze1@duq.edu.