It’s truly special when a band can fuse the nostalgia of music past with a modernized approach, updating classic aesthetics for a new generation. That explains the surge in 80s synth-inspired artists in the past decade, as well as 90s grunge groups and acts that just. Plain. Rock. Specifically, the ones that create the feel of classic rock and rough it up are ensuring that the genre is carried on. 

Dirty Honey is one such act, a Led Zeppelin inspired four-piece out of Los Angeles who have spent the year opening for Guns N’ Roses, The Who, and Red Sun Rising, plus playing huge rock festivals headlined by Slipknot, Tool, and the like. They’re ready to launch, and it’s bound to happen after this headlining tour that stopped by The Rebel Lounge in Phoenix on Monday. 

Phoenix locals and their fans were ready for this show, packing the room early and leaving way past the encore. The Deadbeat Cousins opened the night with their own bluesy rock ‘n’ roll, blowing the crowd away with tracks from their debut album, Get By. Wyves hammed it up on stage to the delight of the front few rows who got to sing along and dance with the band. 

All that nostalgia for rock bands of yore primed the crowd for Dirty Honey, who rolled in looking the part of rockstars and then backing up the image by ripping through their eponymous EP, choice covers, and an encore—rare for The Rebel Lounge. They strutted, they stomped (in fabulous boots, no less) and they hair flipped dozens of times. The crowd really should have been rowdier, but that’s a lot to ask on a Monday night. Still, Dirty Honey wasn’t fazed and practically leaped off stage to meet the fans after their set. 

These guys are the real deal, and we’re on the edge of our seats waiting for what’s next.

Check out photos from the show!
Story and photos by Taylor Gilliam