“You’ve literally never heard of Arrows In Action,” the banner above Phoenix’s Crescent Ballroom stage reads. But the room full of fans would disagree — hundreds gathered at the venue for the band’s largest headlining show to date, a stop on their Built to Last Tour named after the album they released in May. Also on the tour: Honey Revenge and Finish Ticket, rounding out a lineup that’s a little bit pop punk and a showcase of alt rock’s next generation.
Even the buzziest names can learn from the bands that came before them, and Finish Ticket showed the crowd how it’s done with their opening set. Featuring “Color,” “Dream Song,” and “Bring the Rain,” the set saw vocalist Brendan Hoye channel Nick Petricca from Walk the Moon and belt out lyrics like there was no tomorrow. The trio (that also features Alex DiDonato on guitar and Gabe Stein on drums) is no stranger to the stage, and the fans — both brand new and a decade in the making — were delighted by the performance.
The crowd was primed for Honey Revenge, the LA-based pop rock duo who’s riding the high of their debut album, Retrovision, that released just two weeks ago. Despite their limited catalog, vocalist Devin Papadol and guitarist Donovan Lloyd already know how to command a room and had the first few rows singing along with “Miss Me.” Papadol also told the story of meeting Arrows In Action and being convinced, for some reason, they were from Arizona: “We have to play a show together in Arizona,” she remembers telling them. The story was the only breather in the high-energy set, which started with “Airhead” and didn’t slow down all the way through the closer of “Distracted.”
And that energy was infectious, spreading through the room as everyone excitedly awaited Arrows In Action. The trio was all smiles as they took their places, promptly launching into the A-side of Built to Last. And if there was any doubt who was on stage, the banner and the arrow-shaped lights were all the clues you needed. Drummer Jesse Frimmel, vocalist Victor Viramontes-Pattison, and guitarist Matthew Fowler charged through their newest music before setting up at the front of the stage to do an acoustic melody of songs from their previous releases. With this, they visibly relaxed into conversations with each other and interactions with the fans, thanking everyone for their support and making their tour possible. (Also: A whole sidebar about how everyone loves Jesse, which the crowd confirmed by chanting his name.)
For the second half, we learned the “viral TikTok dance” that accompanies “Head in the Clouds” and were treated to more tracks from Built to Last and Be More. The band talked about their collaborators (Loveless, Magnolia Park, and The Home Team) with clear admiration and appreciation, and there was pure joy radiating from the stage. It was coasting from here to the end, carried by the momentum of the performance and the enthusiasm from the fans. Closing with “Built to Last” and “Uncomfortably Numb,” Arrows In Action marked a huge milestone and enjoyed a moment of triumph before departing — proof that they’re “Made for This” after all.
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Story and photos by Taylor Knauf
