Reba Meyers needs no introduction. For over a decade, she’s been the guitar-slinging, occasionally screaming force behind Code Orange, the Pittsburgh-born band that’s bounced between metalcore, hardcore, and rock. But with the band on hiatus, Meyers has stepped out alone, armed with a new EP, Clouded World, and a stripped-down live show that proves she doesn’t need a wall of amps to hit hard.
Opening night of her first-ever solo tour landed at Kung Fu Necktie, a tiny, gritty club in Philadelphia’s Fishtown neighborhood. It’s a far cry from her Pittsburgh roots, but the crowd checked out the intimate venue to see what Meyers would do on her own.
I’ve been hooked on Clouded World since its early August drop, but my first taste of Reba outside Code Orange came on Greg Puciato’s haunting “Lowered” from his Mirrorcell record. Puciato was in the crowd for this show, and I quietly hoped for a duet. No luck, but I’m willing to have patience for this.
For most of the set, it was just Meyers, a guitar, and backing tracks. One song brought in live drums, but otherwise it was raw and vulnerable—no techs, no roadies, no smoke and mirrors. She switched guitars almost every track (including her signature ESP), offering the occasional very quick story, but mostly letting the songs speak for themselves.
Performing the entire EP, “Clouded World” hit hard with 90’s angst; however, it was the dreamy “Sanctuary” that was a showstopper, demonstrating her vocal and lifting the room into something almost weightless.
She tossed in a solo rework of “Mirror” from Code Orange’s 2023 record, The Above, and dug back to her Adventures days for the jangly, indie-tinged “Heavenly.” The set closed with a new, upbeat track — unreleased and unlike the rest; a deliberate high note to end on.
No flashing lights. No massive stage show. Just songs, skill, and presence. On this tour, Reba Meyers makes one thing clear: she’s not just one of the most exciting guitarists around — she’s a songwriter and vocalist ready to own any stage she walks onto.
