Last week had downtown Phoenix buzzing with springtime cheer as the weather was perfect for a beautiful First Friday of a new season.
Coming all the way from New Jersey, Phoneboy visited Valley Bar, accompanied by none other than Phoenix natives Breakup Shoes. Unsurprisingly, the crowd was already packed by the time Breakup Shoes graced the stage, which wasn’t the first time for them at Valley Bar. The crowd danced from the moment they opened their set with their hit “Brian Wilson” which later transitioned to tear-stained cheeks while the band performed “Unrequited Love and Other Cliches” later in the evening. From seeing them perform in intimate spaces such as Tempe house shows to Rebel Lounge, it was quite fitting to see the band perform in the tightly packed room and their dreamy harmonies filled the spaces in between.
After the crowd was out of breath from dancing to their set, they were all warmed up for what would be a jammed-packed show from Phoneboy. Kicking off with “Ferrari”, Phoneboy was met with excited cheering from their dedicated fans. By the second song, the crowd proved that they were not there to mess around and still had plenty of good vibes to give to the headliner. With “1987” already known as the band’s most popular track, the fans were visibly joyous at hearing it live and getting to bop along. Keeping the intensity of the room elevated, Phoneboy was loving how the crowd was reacting to their openers and kept their set going with other songs such as “Handheld” and “Open Up”.
After the crowd chanted for just one more song, the band returned to treat everyone to three more songs to end the set, closing out a exciting night of stellar songs, sweaty bodies and dancing shoes. Phoneboy filled Valley Bar with a vibrancy that was not forgotten or taken for granted.
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Story and photos by Athena Burton
