“It’s been far too long,” Declan McKenna said to the crowd, which sums up The Big Return Tour perfectly — after a lengthy hiatus, the British singer-songwriter is back on the road getting ready for his upcoming album, What Happened to the Beach?, due in February. Though the run is short, McKenna and his live band stopped at Tempe’s Marquee Theatre on Tuesday to revisit old favorites and preview new music.
Allie Crow Buckley is opening up each night and is enchanting the crowds with her subtly haunting vocals and folk-tinged music. The fans gave her appreciative cheers when the drum beats added depth and when she moved as if to dance across the stage, but otherwise they soaked in the witchy vibes.
Declan McKenna had the crowd wrapped around his finger from the moment he stepped on stage, teasing us at the mic before quite literally jumping into action. He moved like he’d been struck by lightning and had fans dancing and clapping along with him — at one point, he commanded us to jump and you could almost hear the question of “how high?”
On his Big Return, McKenna is playing for plenty of new fans for the first time thanks to rising social media popularity. And by his account, he’s having new experiences as well: This was his first show in Tempe, and he came back to the Valley even though he “famously hates Phoenix,” which garnered some laughs. (At 100 degrees in late October, it’s hard to argue with him.)
Through his 18-song setlist that included favorites like “Beautiful Faces” and the mega-hit “Brazil” along with the debut of a new song possibly titled “Just Like Me,” Declan McKenna showed he’s charming and clearly passionate about the project he’s been building for nearly a decade. And at 24, he’s poised for an even bigger and brighter season ahead.
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Story and photos by Taylor Knauf
