It was the last night of their headline run, but Arrested Youth showed no signs of exhaustion. After spending the last month on the road promoting this year’s Nonfiction, Thursday’s show at The Rebel Lounge in Phoenix was something of a celebration of the tour’s smash success.
Tempe-based Rozotadi exuded charisma as he sauntered across the stage throughout his opening set. His alt-rap lent itself perfectly to the captivated crowd, and cheers of “You’re amazing!” made him smile wide between songs.
Jay Joseph and his touring band, who opted to hang out in the crowd instead of in the green room, hopped on stage next for an equally energetic set. He promises genre bending and he delivers, even mixing in some ukulele covers— “All Star” being the obvious highlight. At the end, his entire team rushed the stage and sprayed the room with water as everyone went wild.
By this point, there was palpable excitement for the headliner. Everyone was buzzing with anticipation, faces glowing under the red lights. Finally, their chance to sing every word and get up close with a favorite artist. It’s no surprise that Arrested Youth means so much to so many people, but two fans in particular will never forget the evening—they got engaged on stage with a little help from the band.
After the encore, there was a sense of incredible accomplishment. There’s so much to be done before going back out on the road with twenty one pilots, but for now, there’s plenty to be proud of.
Story and photos by Taylor Knauf
