Friday night was a good time at the Hard Rock Cafe at Station Square. For $5 each, a nearly packed house saw a quality triple-header of bands who fared well in the Graffiti Rock Challenge.

Leading off was aBetter Yesterday, with singer Greg Meyer (photo #1) leading the band through an energetic mix of originals and covers, some of which date back to long before these guys were born. The band has a strong following, with numerous young ladies crowding the dance floor to rock along (#2).

The Inconsiderate Few (#3) followed for the band's first gig in a few months. The guys combined quality originals like "Carolina Motor Speedway" with some old favorites, with the highlight a cover of the relatively obscure Beatles tune "Hey Bulldog." (Matter of fact, I had just told a friend how much I enjoyed guitarist Don Mancuso's reading of the song when the Inconsiderate Few hit the first few chords. They must've read my mind.) Solid drumming as usual from Shane McGraw (#4), switching gears a bit from playing the previous weekend with his other band, Doodis.

Closing the evening was the headlining act, the Neon Swing X-perience, with a spirited horn section proving that swing will never die. Sax players Carly Litvik and Steve Tomkowitz (#5) help drive the sound that has helped keep the Pittsburgh area jivin' since 1998.