A shot of serotonin was just what the doctor ordered this week and Bryce Vine showed up just in time to deliver. His tour landed at The Van Buren in Phoenix for a sold out night of good vibes and- count ‘em- 26 songs on a jam-packed setlist.
Here to get the show on the road was Black Party and his laidback rhyming style. The former Arkansas resident turned California transplant performed with the ease of someone staring into the monumental growth within their grasp. He rapped calmly and effortlessly, meandering rather than strutting across the venue’s wide stage. Make no mistake though- the hype was definitely present in the form of a crowded room raising their arms and swaying to tracks like “Summer Love” and “Dancing”.
This tour’s lineup was clearly curated to give the fans the best energy possible and Black Party absolutely took that peace of mind and gave it to the room. The performance was genuine both in talent and delivery and it was almost jarring when his set ended to make way for the rest of the show.
Bryce Vine is no stranger to Arizona but it’s been a minute since he’s graced a local stage. His crew armed front row fans with disposable cameras to capture the show and there’s little doubt that the joy in the room will come through in those pictures. Upgrading to The Van Buren worked in his favor with the show selling out prior to door time and fans pressing close to the barricade in the hopes of getting the charismatic singer’s attention.
Clad in shades, plaid and an ear to ear grin, Vine immediately got the room pumped up with “Where the Wild Things Are” and “Brain Dead”. The well-lit audience raised the roof on a school night (as there were plenty of young kids in the crowd with their equally enthusiastic parents) and shrieked with delight when Vine leapt from the stage to flatten himself into the first few rows of fans.
Vine remains criminally underrated in the mainstream but that simply doesn’t matter when you have a venue as large as The Van Buren drowning out the stage vocals on “Sunflower Seeds” and “Nowhere Man”. We love an acoustic moment and the band broke out a sweet, sensual trumpet for “Problems” right before launching into the last few songs of the night.
“Drew Barrymore” and “Guilty Pleasure” rounded out the main set before Vine returned for a wild encore that- even after 90 minutes onstage- had the room begging for more. Setlists were handed out, final photos were snapped and a sweaty, exhausted crowd left with the serotonin they came for.
Check out all the photos from the show!
Story and photos by Olivia Khiel
