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Between Melody and Mayhem: Mannequin Pussy Takes Charlotte

The Philadelphia band brought their dual nature, soft and savage, to a packed house in Charlotte NC.

Fresh off a big set at Governors Ball, Mannequin Pussy rolled into Charlotte with momentum on their side on their “I Got Heaven” tour. As I arrived about thirty minutes before the opening set The Neighborhood Theatre was already buzzing when I walked in. A good crowd had gathered in the bar area and surprisingly it was the merch line that was long and steady, a clear sign that the crowd showed up with intention. The room already felt primed for something, and the night hadn’t even officially started. 

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Deux Visages opened the night. They were posted up at their own merch table before their set, chatting with fans, low-key and approachable.

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Their performance started quietly, almost cautiously, with a dreamlike atmosphere and a slow pace that felt more like setting a mood than demanding attention.

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But as the set progressed, the energy grew. By the end, they found a comfortable rhythm, leaning into extended guitar passages and letting the songs breathe more. It was a subtle build, but an effective one.

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By the time they wrapped, the crowd was fully warmed up, attentive, engaged, and clearly anticipating what was coming next.

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When Mannequin Pussy took the stage, the shift in energy was immediate.

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The younger part of the crowd, packed tight near the front of the stage, was visibly dialed in from the first note. The band didn’t waste time with introductions or posturing, they just started playing, and the room responded.

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Lead singer Missy Dabice is a magnetic performer. Her presence is a study in contrast, at times soft-spoken and graceful, at others furious and unfiltered. There’s a deliberateness in how she moves and delivers, whispering one moment, screaming the next: dancing with vintage flair, then thrashing her guitar like she’s trying to bend it out of shape. Her performance felt personal without ever losing its intensity.

The rest of the band more than held their ground.

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Bassist Colins Regisford stepped up to lead vocals for a couple of songs, while Missy moved to bass, shifting roles with ease.

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Drummer Kaleen Reading was precise and relentless throughout, and guitarist Maxine Steen brought a strong melodic presence while also creating space for the quieter, more reflective moments, especially when Missy took time to speak between songs.

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One of those moments came midway through the set.

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Missy reflected on the first time they played this venue and used it as a lead-in to a monologue about the pressure of traditional values and the cost of conforming.

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Backed by a subtle, steady groove from Maxine and Colins, the moment had the weight of a spoken-word piece, but it never felt forced. It built to a boiling point before the band launched into Loud Bark, a clear high point of the night.

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Before the final songs, Missy made it clear there wouldn’t be an encore, just two more songs and then on to the next city. She mentioned upcoming UK dates and casually dropped the news that they’d just announced a fall run supporting Turnstile. The crowd responded like you’d expect.

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The power of the night wasn’t just in its volume or fury, but in how easily it shifted gears. There was force and vulnerability, chaos and control. Mannequin Pussy didn’t just blur the line between those extremes, they leaned into both, fully. The tension between soft melody and raw punk energy is what gave the show its weight. It hit hard, not just in sound, but in spirit.

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See the Full Gallery of the Night Here!

If you captured any shots of the night, feel free to tag us on social media at Shutter 16 Magazine and throw in #Shutter16 and #TwitFromThePit for the world to see. 

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Photographer Josh Gooch is a North Carolina native and a graduate of Appalachian State, Josh Gooch works in education, teaching graphic design at the community college level. Photography became a passion during his college career, and remained a constant addition to the ever-present soundtrack of life. Privileged to have turned an ear to hip-hop at a young age, after developing a love of music from ‘80s radio, Josh found that the revelation of rock music in high school was what led him to really devote serious amounts of attention to music. From there it was that first club show that sparked an addiction to live music and the exposure to various forms of it during the college years, cementing a love of passion and truth in music. Now, with the ability to combine the passions of photography and music, he hopes to continue to develop a creative voice that others appreciate.

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