Field Dispatch – Gastonia, NC | 6 Story Pyramid at The Rooster
We dropped down the mountain, winding through the lower valley outside of Charlotte, into the old mill town of Gastonia. The air was warm, traffic light, and the day still had hours to kill. That’s when I heard it—an acoustic guitar being tuned and the low hum of someone sound-checking a PA.
It was coming from The Pita Wheel, a familiar local hangout for the downtown crowd. I’ve been here before, but it never misses—an old Sinclair gas station turned roadside eatery, complete with the iconic green dinosaur sign still standing proud on the corner. The place has outdoor seating, weekly trivia nights, and even a food truck parked out back. Inside, it’s all license plates, rusted Americana, and a rock’n’roll heartbeat. Ice-cold layout. Solid vibe.
As I grabbed a drink and settled in, the speakers were rolling out killer cuts from a classic rock rotation.
After a few songs and some solid people-watching, I turned my attention to the guy with the guitar. —a local who regularly posts up at The Pita Wheel—was running through a mix of classic covers and deeper cuts. His presence added just the right tone to the evening: laid-back but sharp. You could tell he wasn’t just filling space—people had shown up for him. There was a subtle draw to the way he played, pulling people from their tables and food truck lines toward the sound.
With the sun starting to drop and our check closed out, we made our way toward the real reason for the trip: meeting up with Alex and checking in with the band. The Rooster was already buzzing. The crowd was thicker than expected, swelling with locals, friends of the bands, and the usual weekend curiosity.
6 Story Pyramid was slotted second in the lineup. When they hit the stage, it was immediate. That same chaotic energy they always bring—tight, wild, and full throttle. Ayden ended up on Vincent’s shoulders mid-set, their high-octane chemistry unmistakable, especially for a band that’s still new to the touring circuit.
They played hard for 20–30 minutes, the kind of set that doesn’t give the audience time to drift. And in true 6SP fashion, Vincent scaled the rafters by the end of the performance, hanging above the crowd as the rest of the band tore it up down in the pit beneath him. It wasn’t a gimmick—it was pure showmanship, a moment.
Once the gear was packed and our goodbyes said, we peeled out and headed back toward the mountain. About halfway up 74, the sky split wide open. Zeus himself must’ve clocked out from the Rooster too, because we hit a full thunderstorm climbing the ridge. The bolts weren’t overhead—they were bouncing off the mountains around us, lighting up the valley like an old war film. Gastonia disappeared in the rearview, but the night stuck with us.
For a glimpse of how it all looked from the floor, check out the “In The Pit” section of the site—photos from the show are live now.
