If you combine cats, pineapples and musical instruments, you get sucks to be pluto, and their debut EP, Catharsis and Therapy. Add one little brother and one drummer, and you get their concert at the Firebird in downtown St. Louis on Jan. 29.

Sporting his signature hair bun, senior Jacob Cupps led his band, sucks to be pluto, in their EP release show at the Firebird in downtown St. Louis on Friday, Jan. 29. For two hours, fans heard  Cupps and Westminster senior Ben Isaacs’ original independent alternative music along with covers. They were accompanied by freshman Justin Cupps and Kirkwood senior Micah Huffman, all four giving a stellar performance.

The songs chosen highlighted varied musical talents, including a cover of “Kitchen Sink” by Twenty One pilots, where freshman Justin Cupps took the microphone for the third verse, to the applause of many.

Opening for sucks to be pluto were two other bands comprised of Parkway High School students: Local Dog Dreams and Miller and the Maniacals. Local Dog Dreams, which is South High senior Kate Andrea and her guitar, was the first musical act of the night, impressing the audience with a strong voice that turned heads covering Beyonce’s “Crazy Love.” Andrea’s musical variety was amazing, singing about everything from love to setting cargo shorts on fire, to the chagrin of many.

Miller and the Maniacals may not be a familiar name to many West High students, but the band is comprised of several members of jazz combo Cosmic Latte, seniors C.J. Schreiber, Allie Wills and Jake Summers, along with seniors Alex Hubbard and Josh Massara. Their covers were  high-energy, showcasing immense musical talent, and everyone in the band was rocking out for their entire performance. Combined, there could not have been a more perfect opener for sucks to be pluto or a more perfect combination of musical styles.

The interspersion of more well-known covers along with lesser known ones kept the energy up all night and maintained a good variety in the music. Also, the band did an excellent job of spacing out the high-energy songs with slower ballads, and it never appeared that the band was tired until the very end when Jacob Cupps said so himself.

Sucks to be pluto’s original songs were virtually indistinguishable from the covers, in terms of musical sophistication, and, just like most professional music, the large majority of it focused on love. Unlike Taylor Swift’s early albums, the love songs don’t sound like teenage angst and hormones; their content is far more collected and clear.

Overall, the concert seemed fairly professional, it was clear that the band had a plan for everything they did on stage. They handled technical difficulties and the occasional outburst from an inebriated fan quite well. The music was relatable and showcased everyone’s talents and the band’s overall musical prowess, keeping the crowd engaged all night. sucks to be pluto gave an excellent show.