Pageantry

2014 has been a big year for pop-gazers Pageantry. On the heels of their 2013 debut EP Friends Of The Year and a head-turning appearance at SXSW 2014, the Denton, TX trio is currently finishing up their first proper LP and preparing for a string of U.S. tour dates, including a cluster of CMJ Music Marathon 2014 showcases.

Today, the band is debuting their excellent new single Spine exclusively via CMJ. The song offers a more polished take on the arresting, wandering pop of their first EP. It’s a beautiful song with an unusual structure and fluid changes in time signature, combining the dreamy pop of the Morning Benders with the musicianship of Menomena. The real payoff comes a little before the two-minute mark, when a Built To Spill-esque slide guitar soars in on a bed of synth strings.

This stand-alone single, which won’t appear on their upcoming LP but instead serves as a stopover on Pageantry’s sonic journey, is an indication that we can expect great things from this band at CMJ 2014 and beyond. Check out the track below, along with all the band’s upcoming tour dates. - CMJ.com

Roy Robertson, frontman and songwriter behind Denton indie-rock outfit Pageantry, realizes there are two levels that most things can be read at: surface and core. That duality is fascinating to him. He holds brains and beauty in equal esteem and realizes that an inviting veneer is often essential to conveying a deeper meaning.

It also translates to the music he is making with bassist Pablo Burrull and drummer Ramon Muzquiz — one side favoring the breezy melodies of pop music and the lush sounds of 1960s crooners backed by sappy string sections, the other electric tension and off-kilter time signatures of distorted, atonal music.

Somewhere in that cross section tangentially related to bands like Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Beach House and Radiohead, Pageantry has found a sound of its very own.

“I want a certain celebratory atmosphere for the band but also this cynicism and self-aware idea of what we are doing,” Robertson said of the band and how the name is also something of a mission statement. “It’s like the Vaseline on the teeth forcing a smile. We wanted to be realistic and honest but also a little pompous and indulgent in the bullshit.”

It’s something Robertson has wanted for a long time: the ability to adequately express the ideas in his head. Amongst a slew of other projects, he has recorded and performed solo — a reality that clipped what the music could be, impeding the musical depth and layering he desperately desired.

The resulting shift can be heard in the Friends of the Year EP Pageantry released in 2013, just a short year after officially forming. If the four-song effort suffered from anything, though, it was how new the situation was to all parties involved.

“It was a blurry vision of what the personality of the band was,” Robertson said. “When we recorded the EP, we were barely a band at all. We hadn’t toured. We hadn’t even played that many shows together.”

After two years of frequent touring — including appearances at CMJ and South by Southwest and shows in support of Midlake and Superchunk — Pageantry is finding its true self. That’s heard in the more focused single “Spine” — out now — and even more so on the full-length debut due sometime in 2015, tailoring down and pushing forward in the same pass.

“We are able to hone in on what aspects of the music we want to accentuate and what we want to leave in the background,” Robertson said of the next album. “We’ve narrowed in on what we want to do while expanding and trying new things within in that mindset.” - Oklahoma Gazette

Denton, Texas, is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan area, which boasts a population of nearly 7 million. Denton, with its population hovering around 124,000, is one of the little communities that comprise the Dallas-area conglomerate. Denton-bred Pageantry--Roy Robertson, Ramon Muzquiz and Pablo Burrull--reflects that dichotomy in its sound: small-town bedroom pop with a kind of big-city bravado. Robertson's far-away vocals and falsetto are wrapped in a blanket of fuzzy guitar but surprises like a slightly off-key chord or a switched-up time signature create addictive tunes and prevent any shoe-gazing from turning into snoring. Pageantry's 2013 EP Friends of the Year garnered the trio spots at SXSW and CMJ.com (which described them as "pop-gazers") and a full-length LP is due out soon. - Boise Weekly

Pageantry -

The gentlemen in Pageantry have approached the idea of being a band from Denton in a very un-Denton way. Instead of constantly playing locally, the group has hit the road at every opportunity, including endlessly touring through the US and making stops at SXSW, the UMS Festival in Denver, the Universe Fest in Tulsa, and stopping by Daytrotter to record a session. Currently the group is hard at work on their first full-length LP, a follow-up to their highly acclaimed 2013 EP, Friends of the Year, and have teased the release of a single this October before heading back out on the road. If the release comes even remotely close to the excellence of Friends of the Year, we might have an early leader for the Best Local Song race. JPF - Dallas Observer

Each year we wait with baited breath to hear of the "next big thing" coming from the South By Southwest festival in Austin, Texas. While much has been made of the decision to host large acts like Coldplay and Lady Gaga, at it's heart this festival's primary purpose is to host smaller bands who're on the cusp of greatness. While the masses will flock to the big stages, watching the readily known bands, industry insiders and those in the know will be standing in smaller rooms seeing bands who's passion for music is magical. These are the bands that will walk away with new record deals and media coverage that can propel them to the larger stage. More than any other festival in the world, South By Southwest provides bands this opportunity by allowing over 1000 bands to occupy Austin, Texas and present themselves to curious audiences.

In my mind, these are the twenty bands most likely (and deserving) to come out of SXSW with the most media adulation. - Huffington Post

This Denton band’s ace in the hole is the sublimely talented Roy Robertson (whose Wonderness still ranks as one of my favorite local albums of the past five years), although Pageantry is more than just the talents of one man. The trio’s debut 2012 EP, Friends of the Year, still rivets, and hopefully, it will use a fistful of SXSW shows to catapult to the next level. - DFW.com

Pageantry, an indie rock band from Denton, Texas, is aptly named. The trio's magisterial finesse, regal psychedelia and grand pop hooks are capable of providing an appropriate soundtrack for modern day royalty. - INK

This weekend, Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios is hosting some of Denton’s best musical performers.

Starting at 9 p.m. Friday, the stage at Rubber Gloves will sponsor hours of decidedly non-corporate music, featuring Austin’s Major Major Major and Denton’s Pageantry. Openers include the charmingly mellow Sacco and Vanzetti along with the Dome Dwellers.

Major Major Major is an indie/punk act whose traditional poppy riffs are reminiscent of a once-happier David Bowie. With just drums and guitar, the duo’s stripped-down sound can shift between aggressive garage beats and more reflective melodies.

But the big draw will be the night’s last performance by the oft-praised up-and-coming band Pageantry. The Denton band’s soft spectral chords jolt into sudden, dreamy and towering soundscapes only to come crashing down in a beautifully destructive musical crash. At times introspective shoegaze, bolstered by frontman Roy Robertson’s effective vocals, and at times big and wild in a reckless, psychedelic Wayne Coyne kind of way, Pageantry is refreshingly earnest — not that you can understand their lyrics. You can’t miss the mood, though. - Little d

Pageantry is a three man band from Denton, Texas that describes itself as “inspirational pop-gaze,” and after several listens I can’t think of a better way to categorize their music. Their mastery of their instruments – vocals included – mixed with their progressive vibe and their introspective lyrics put these artists in a genre and league of their own…and thus their newly coined phrase truly does them justice.
The most invigorating parts of Friends of the Year are the band’s vintage, magnetizing melodies and grandiose percussion performances. I’m usually the one on staff at OVRLD given the singer-songwriter reviews because I fall more on the literary/poetry junkie side of music and can solidly analyze and pick apart their lyrics rather than evaluating the actual musical elements. But even at first listen I can’t help but highlight how struck I was by the masterful drumming and use of cymbals to create the soundscape.
As the EP went on I picked out the impeccable percussion in each track – notably in “Family Tree” where Ramon Muzquiz’s energetic and present style blends well with his ability to compose and build an atmosphere with percussion in the forefront, words in the background. Epic, insightful lyrics like, “I picture you by yourself / worried with wealth and what it drives you to / Your mind the frail ornament / clothed in ascent / one day will bleed you out,” allow me to imagine the whole band itself is a hip amalgamation of Sigur Ros and The Beatles, filtered through Beach House’s dream-pop vibe.
As a whole, “Disaster” is the best track on the album, employing a catchy beat and controlling their melodies to match the urgency their instruments create. Not to mention their spellbinding, stirring lyrics: “They turned me like all the rest into their slaves and servants / But when I asked to exist I was left apart from it” all cascading into a repetition of the word “disaster” over and over. Epic. Hypnotizing. Their sound and words seem to transcend the monotony of daily struggles and futile arguments and suggest a higher state of being where things that really matter are … well, what matters. Maybe they just made me feel high, I don’t quite know.
I have been thoroughly enchanted and transported by Pageantry and I am sincerely bummed out to only get four tracks from this first EP. And they’ll only be playing the Dallas – Fort Worth area the next few months! But after a great CD release at the Mohawk with Borrisokane and the Calm Blue Sea last Friday night, I expect they’ll continue to grow their Austin following and be back in town in no time. After all, Austin is a city that needs more inspirational pop-gaze than ever in this time of political strife and uncertainty. “Save us Pageantry! You’re our only hope.”
- Bailey Cool - Ovrld

Summer, typically, is the province of songs built to be enjoyed loudly at pool parties.

But the festivities must fizzle out some time, and there are still endless, scorching days to spend, floating aimlessly around chlorinated pockets of paradise.

For those days of drifting, drenched in sunblock and contemplation, Denton's Pageantry has made a record to get lost with.

The trio's debut effort, the four-track EP Friends of the Year, is astonishing - Roy Robertson, Ramon Muzquiz and Pablo Burrull are locked in tight from the opening moments of the title track through the gorgeous closer Family Tree.

The EP, recorded last year in "various houses in and around Denton," will be available Tuesday on all manner of digital music services, including iTunes, Spotify and Bandcamp. It's a stunning, albeit brief, listen, continuing the masterful work begun by Robertson on stellar efforts like his 2010 EP Wonderness.

Pageantry will celebrate the EP's release June 14 at Dan's Silverleaf, sharing a bill with Chambers, Good Field and Señor Fin. - Ft. Worth Star Telegram

While I do love and support my favorite Austin-based bands, it’s also great to find new favorites from across Texas. One of my latest discoveries is the Denton-based “pop gaze” trio Pageantry. They released their debut EP, Friends Of The Year, last month. The four song effort is packed with a lot of stuff – layered guitars and vocals complemented by a rhythm section that weaves a variety of sonic textures into an engaging sound that leaves listeners wanting more. Their Austin record release show will be taking place at the Mohawk with Borrisokane and The Calm Blue Sea this Friday. This is a fantastic triple bill of Texas bands that I highly recommend. - Side One Track One

The 60's rock and roll epoch returns with its vintage spellbinding melodies. Austin’s Pageantry approach the beach-music genre with a little bit of math-pop, some great modern drumming and the valiance to explore what our founding fathers might have missed.

Disaster is a true penumbra. Contemporary but engaging, and respectful while breaking the rules, Pageantry blurs all boundaries to create universal music engirded with an artistic edge. Appealing to both commercial successes and critically acclaimed successions, the band is building their way to a solid foundation of friends in the industry. Friends of the Year is a long overdue, novel Indie album which deserves our undivided attention.

The last track on this record is called Family Tree. Keeping the concept alive till the very end, this track really exploits The Beatles, The Monkees, The Monks, and all other 60s rock acts. With a closer attention to textural construction, this track has a Sigur Ros grandeur, specifically in regards to the recording of the drums. The cymbals sound warm and sustain into watercrested swells. The vocals are perfect for the project but might perhaps be viewed as lacking a certain edge or personality. The best part of this album is how the drums are tracked, and how big, boomy and full they sound.

My only critique is perhaps that the group needs the addition of a fourth member to really stabilize their sound and become a novel and ground breaking project. I feel like even though the range of sounds are wide and varied, the music lacks a certain depth that would be created my another pattern. No one plays melodies when it’s time to bombard the listener with a meteor shower of sound, and melodies stand alone as though the air has been vacuumed out of the track. Overall, this band has all the right components to rise to the top. - SPREAD

Born from a long-gestating collaboration between Roy Robertson, Pablo Burrull and Ramon Muzquiz, Denton's Pageantry is finally releasing their first EP, Friends of the Year. The band composes an ethereal fuzz, highlighted by a steady hand on the drums and a captivating falsetto that come together to take the listener on something that resembles an out-of-body experience. If you're looking for a shorthand description, imagine if the first Tapes 'n Tapes album had been produced by guys in Grizzly Bear, then mixed by the duo from Cults. What makes Pageantry's take on this sound so interesting is that they concoct all this with just three players, which says a lot about the talent behind the project. Their much buzzed-about Denton sister band, Chambers, provides support at Dan's Silverleaf. Pageantry plan to film their set for a video, so dress to impress and try not to get too lost in the sound. -- Jaime-Paul Falcon - Dallas Observer

Pageantry have released a heck of a great single. ‘Friends Of The Year’ is folk pop straight out of Texas and I can see why it has been called “the most promising track to come out of Denton”. Its a sweet track with sweeping math rock qualities sure enough to catch your ear. This is a song for every man, woman and child.
- Dingus Music

Once upon a time, Denton had a band called the Polycorns, a project of local artist and musician Caleb Ian Campbell. But the band dissolved, and took its lush, symphonic rock with it.
Former Polycorns bassist Pablo Burrull joined forces with musicians Ramon Muzquiz and Roy Robertson, a member of Campbell’s Team Tomb, to form Pageantry.
Despite being a three-piece, Pageantry paints a big sonic palette. Wavy guitars end up doing something impressionistic – the sound declares itself, then bleed into space, filling the open spaces of songs ever so gently. Robertson’s vocals are Thom York-ian – a reedy, choirboy mezzo that makes the band’s “Friends of the Year” a meditation. Bells are part of the equation, which explains the ethereal sounds layered into the mix.
Like Team Tomb, the overall effect of Pageantry’s vocals is ambient. The music is meant to be experienced more than translated. It’s doubtful that Robertson is telling a story. He’s lending dimension to the mood, plunging the listener into that semitrance that belongs to daydreams and deep thoughts. And if you’re a sucker for lyrics, Pageantry is more like leafing through a scrapbook than reading a story.
You know how the bass can be the anchor and timekeeper in a band? Burrull’s bass here is more of a compass – giving the songs direction and purpose. Muzquiz’s drums are bearers of the light, shimmering and diffusing. Though the band bills itself as an experimental indie group, Pageantry fits nicely into the alternative spectrum, too. Between vocals and the soft edges of the music, Pageantry has a Brit-Rock feel. It’s a sort of counterbalance to the rootsy and occasionally country finishes of the Americana music native to Denton. Sure to be a hit with: fans of Denton’s Sundress.
During the festival, Pageantry will perform at the showcase with Deep Sea Diver, Hey Marseilles, and The Hope Trust. The trio could also be a companion piece to Midlake. Math-rock buffs and art-rock enthusiasts can share a meeting of the minds over Pageantry as well. This is music to take in with headphones or on a solitary drive. When: 10:30pm Saturday March 9, at Sweetwater Grill and Tavern, 115 S. Elm St. Wristband for today: $35 - Little d After Dark

First off, we have the lead single from the full-length album Pageantry released last October. We're gonna go ahead and throw the term "math rock" out there for this, but with a qualifier. If Don Caballero is Calculus, then Pageantry is College Algebra, and that's not a bad thing. This song has enough driving force that anybody will be quickly sucked in. Over the course of the song the breaks and repetitions gradually build up to a gigantic opus that might even get away with it's use of a synth in an arguably non-synthy song. Pageantry is playing this Saturday at Hailey's with Chambers. - We Denton Do It

Pageantry – “Friends of the Year”

Pairs Well With…Grizzly Bear, Band of Horses, Local Natives

Pageantry’s debut single “Friends of the Year” is the most promising track to come out of Denton in 2012. Above all, Pageantry should be commended for honing a unique tone within a crowded indie pop field. While “Friends” is in its essence a catchy pop number, a mysterious haze covers the track in a multitude of ways. A little fuzz on the guitar, pulsing electronic bass and some subtle synth work all find a way to creep throughout the song. I was sold when the song hits its inventive break section, building polyrhythmic phrases within seconds of each other. Unfortunately, the music ends after 3:40 for Pageantry at this point, but look for an EP in the coming months and plenty of tour dates throughout Texas and beyond. - Operation Every Band

Pageantry wasn't supposed to make it this far.

The Denton-based trio was initially formed when, for a one-off show last summer, Roy Robertson borrowed Ramon Muzquiz and Pablo Burrull from Young & Brave's rhythm section to pull of some songs from his well-received Wonderness EP. Needless to say things went well. Better, even, than any of them initially expected.

So the band kept going, inevitably putting its own collective spin on Robertson's arrangements. Over time, the band, now a more egalitarian entity, added more aggressive, electrified touches and bigger drums to Robertson's folk-based work, winding up in markedly more avant garde, keenly-layered indie-rock territory.

More recently, the band has been phasing out Robertson's Wonderness tunes in favor of selections from their upcoming EP. That album's first single, "Friends of the Year," began streaming on Pageantry's BandCamp page yesterday.


For all the music's added richness, Robertson's quavering falsetto, which maintains its familiar elegant dance above the band's newfound instrumental density, ties the track together rather well.

Even the dramatic shift in meter midway through the song isn't be too much of a departure from fans of earlier Robertson tunes, such as "Icing" or "In Your Way."
- Central Track

Denton's Pageantry didn't intend to become an actual band, but over the course of the past year, Roy Robertson and his backing musicians did just that. It's not uncommon for a tightly-knit music community like Denton's to share band members, change names or make adjustments on the fly, but it's interesting to watch a group of musicians morph from backing band into a truly democratic unit.

"I started playing with these guys last summer, and at the time we played my solo material," Robertson says. "It's much more of a band now. I still write the songs, but it's more collaborative."

Robertson's collaborators are Ramon Muzquiz on drums and Pablo Burrull on bass. I mentioned how bands in Denton share members: Muzquiz and Burrull met while playing in Young and Brave, and Burrull used to play in The Polycorns with Caleb Ian Campbell. Campbell now has Roy Roberson as a bandmate in his new project, Team Tomb.

But side projects aren't distracting Pageantry from their work. The band is recording their first EP as a group and have tested the material live in the past few months, including recent shows with Terminator 2, Danny Rush and the DDs and Ryan Becker and Last Joke.

"When we started, we just played songs off [Robertson's solo EP] Wonderness, but we're actually starting to phase those out," Muzquiz says.

"And the songs from Wonderness that we still play have changed," Burrull continues. "The arrangements have shifted. Now it's purely Pageantry."

Whereas Wonderness was a measured and intimate affair bordering on folk, Pageantry's EP is shaping up to be intricate and more aggressive. The drums are now a driving force, providing a solid foundation to Robertson's affecting falsetto and layers of electric guitars. The band doesn't improve upon Robertson's songs so much as expand on and realize their potential. Muzquiz is particularly mindful of the mix of sounds on the band's new songs.

"Roy's always had this element to his music of merging some dirty things and some really clean things. I want to keep that going," he says.

Pageantry are also working on a short tour at the end of July, with additional local shows on the horizon, which just might include their first in Dallas. In the meantime, the goal is to stay busy, and stay young.

"I try to eat healthy and exercise," Robertson laughs. "Hopefully responsibilities won't come my way. Responsibilities come to those with wrinkly skin." - Dallas Observer

The snazzy folks over at the Austin-based Oscillation Records have teamed up with SOTO favs Borrisokane for a little something called The Versus Project. The idea behind it is that six Texas bands will each interpret a Borrisokane track, and then Borrisokane will later return the favor by covering a song from each of the participating acts. The Baker Family have already done their cover, and now SOTO has the pleasure of debuting Pageantry’s totally different but stellar take on Elizabeth. Enjoy.

:Pageantry – Elizaaaa:

:Borrisokane – Elizabeth:

By the way, there’s also a plan for each of the bands involved to do more than just covers, and on January 31 a Kickstarter will be launched to gauge demand for a box set that would feature six discs of music and collages by Shawn Magill (one of her pieces is at the top of the post). If you ask me, that sounds pretty rad. - Side One Track One

Back to Thursday night at Luigi’s. Pageantry comes to us fresh from excellent SXSW buzz, and the Texas natives boast a low-fi, psychedelic dream-pop that would probably suit fans of Tame Impala or Grizzly Bear. Folks might remember supporting act Memory Motel from a show at Bows & Arrows shortly before the venue closed. Though the band’s tunes online are of the experimental garage rock variety, frontman Chris Gibson says their new stuff is more like experimental noise pop—hip hop beats meet indie rock. Think Alt J or Miike Snow. - News Review

Pretty indie rock with glorious and layered guitars and the vocals to match. Not to diss on Denton, but some of the best music seems to be born out of shit towns, and Pagenatry is a perfect example of this. They could easily tour with two of the headliners, Real Estate or Unknown Mortal Orchestra. - Kaffeinebuzz.com

We first talked about local band, Pageantry, last February for our 3 Songs column. Back then, we said, "We're gonna go ahead and throw the term "math rock" out there for this, but with a qualifier. If Don Caballero is Calculus, then Pageantry is College Algebra, and that's not a bad thing." Since then Pageantry has been profiled in the Dallas Observer, deemd one of the "20 Bands to See at SXSW" by Huff Po, played plenty of larger shows, and they are currently on their first tour. They're even playing INDEX Fest in Dallas in September. WDDI contributor, Shaina Sheaff, recently chatted with Roy, Ramon, and Pablo about their favorite songs, favorite music venues, and what's next for 'em. Read on for more...
WDDI: Tell us a little bit about your individual musical backgrounds and how you started playing together.

Roy - I started kind of late and mostly taught myself. Pageantry is my first band. I asked Ramon to play on a record of mine a while back and that turned into wanting to play shows so we asked Pablo to play bass and it just morphed into an actual "thing."

Ramon - Have been playing drums since I was about 11 and got my music degree from UNT. My dad and brother are both also drummers and a lot of my family immediate and extended are musicians too.

Pablo - I've been playing in bands since I was about 16. I played guitar until I came to college in Denton where everyone needed a bass player, so I picked up a bass. I got a general music minor at UNT, but I learned the most theory and skills playing with people and teaching music.



How did the name "Pageantry" come about?

Roy - I wanted something that would make sense for the places we'd go as a band. Something that was cynical but also celebratory and something we could grow with.

What did your writing process look like with Friends of the Year?

Roy - We don't have a process really, gave up on that early on.



What's your favorite song you've written together?

Ramon - I think two of my favorite songs we have written are "Teenage Crime Wave" and "Influence" (working title). Both of them are on our new record but I feel like they are the most cohesive and well thought-out songs. "TCW" specifically has gone through many iterations and an earlier version of it was released via a very limited EP recorded on a 4 track tape player and that version is very different. "Influence" just has a really nice flow.

Roy - Yeah "Influence" has this really wistful vibe to it that I think translates well. It just kind of exudes this personality without trying to which makes it fun to play.

Pablo - My favorite songs have been the ones we've written recently and are writing. That may be because they are fresh and different.



Has living in a creative community like Denton influenced your music in any way?

Roy - It allowed us to find each other but creatively it's not a part of the band. Denton is a great city though, we're just influenced by other things.



Congrats on making Huffington Post's list of 20 best bands to see at SXSW earlier this year. What was that experience like for you?

Roy - Thanks, yeah that was crazy! It was our first time playing the festival so it was a nice milestone for us as a band. Our friends at Toro Booking put us on a great bill and we got to do some cool day shows as well, so yeah it was fun.



You've been playing all over. What's the strangest thing that's happened while on the road?

Roy - I just think touring as a concept is kind of wild. It's opened our eyes to a lot of things and we've just started doing it. Weird stuff happens a lot but it's usually in a good way.



What's your favorite venue to play?

Pablo - That's hard to answer because if the show is a good show, I might be biased toward that venue. Some really cool places we've played aren't really venues, like a cereal bar in Lubbock called Serios. The Hi-Dive in Denver, Bunk Bar in Portland, and some house in Olympia were super cool. Locally, Dan's is my favorite.

Ramon - Bunk Bar (Portland), Dan's (Denton), The Mohawk (Austin).

Roy - Mine is Dan's Silverleaf. Jimmy is the man, everyone knows it. Pablo's talking about the Guest House in Olympia, which was a lot of fun.



Outside of making music, what do you guys like to do for fun?

Roy - Hanging with my dog Gaila, running and I also do some graphic design.

Pablo - I'm working a lot right now, so finding free time is hard. If I had the time I would be traveling and camping with my girlfriend and my dog.

Ramon - When I'm not working I love cooking and have a general interest in all things coffee. Most of the time I'm watching TV or working on my house with my wife and cat.



What's next for y'all? When can we expect more music?

Roy - a lot more touring. We're making our first full-length right now but not sure when that's going to come out. If you want to hear the newest stuff though you should come to a show, we're always testing out new things - We Denton Do It

Pageantry grabbed their first OEB review last year through a local festival appearance at 35 Denton and a single song making up their released catalog. The promising dense rock band has followed up with a debut EP in 2013 and it totally holds up, carrying on with the twisty chording of “Disaster”, psych-noise dreamer “Dirt” and the epic reach of the band’s strongest track “Family Tree”.

2013 Review: Pageantry’s debut single “Friends of the Year” is the most promising track to come out of Denton in 2012. Above all, Pageantry should be commended for honing a unique tone within a crowded indie pop field. While “Friends” is in its essence a catchy pop number, a mysterious haze covers the track in a multitude of ways. A little fuzz on the guitar, pulsing electronic bass and some subtle synth work all find a way to creep throughout the song. I was sold when the song hits its inventive break section, building polyrhythmic phrases within seconds of each other. Unfortunately, the music ends after 3:40 for Pageantry at this point, but look for an EP in the coming months and plenty of tour dates throughout Texas and beyond. - Operation Every Band

Pageantry, performing at Club DaDa, describes themselves as inspirational pop-gaze. This Denton/Austin three piece is made of three men that take over the stage with their presence and musical ability. Their single, “Friends of the Year,” could be played on multiple radio stations, it’s very catchy. When these boys get signed, they’ll be playing at Bonnaroo in no time. Be sure to check them out if you are in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. - We Listen Hear

The hypnotic effects of Pageantry
Denton three-piece Pageantry played an early set in the corner of Dada while Andrew Bird was whistling on the main stage. So not an ideal level of exposure, but the relatively new band made plenty of it. Front man Roy Robertson turned his guitar and endless array of effects pedals into a mesmerizing trail of melody. This band doesn't miss. --Kiernan Maletsky - Dallas Observer

But the big draw will be the night’s last performance by the oft-praised up-and-coming band Pageantry. The Denton band’s soft spectral chords jolt into sudden, dreamy and towering soundscapes only to come crashing down in a beautifully destructive musical crash. At times introspective shoegaze, bolstered by frontman Roy Robertson’s effective vocals, and at times big and wild in a reckless, psychedelic Wayne Coyne kind of way, Pageantry is refreshingly earnest — not that you can understand their lyrics. You can’t miss the mood, though. - Denton RC

Pageantry followed and bumped the energy with odd-metered dreamy indie pop, drawing folks inside to get a look at the tight Denton trio on at the beautifully lit Holy Mountain stage. Lead singer Roy Robertson’s vocals can be included in the same school as Hamilton Leithouser (the Walkmen) and Julian Casablancas (the Strokes), both in tone and delivery. Their math-y hooks settle into laid-back grooves that the incredibly tight Dentonites use to bolster their minimal arrangements. It is often difficult to make a three-piece sound like more than the sum of its parts, but Pageantry managed to do just that, led by the soaring vocals of Robertson and his multi-toned guitar leads that seemed to effortlessly vibe and precisely jangle over the attacking rhythm section made up of bassist Pablo Burrull (bass) and Ramon Muzquiz (drums). - Pop Press International