Show Review: Nightly gets Phoenix dancing on the Wear Your Heart Out Tour

Arizona went looking for a weekday night dance party and found the perfect setting at Crescent Ballroom. Nightly’s Wear Your Heart Out Tour got the people moving with a brightly lit show that put the fans front and center.

Nashville transplant Knox hit viral fame on TikTok and used that platform to showcase his plethora of pop-rock talents. His songs are relatable and irresistibly catchy- from “Love Letter” to new song “Girl on the Internet”, the audience was ready to groove. 

“If you don’t know this song, then you don’t have TikTok”, was Knox’s smirking introduction to “Sneakers” and one fan even held up their shoe to get him laughing. The set closed with “Not the 1975” and the crowd was nice and loose for the main event.

Nightly set up a blinding LED screen at the back of Crescent’s small stage and made the most of their visuals throughout the set. Their melancholia-tinged rock is a big sound for only a trio of musicians but they’ve built a diehard fan base over the years- all of whom showed up on a Wednesday night. 

Midway through the set, Knox popped out to join the band on their collaborative track “Miss When You Missed Me” before the band picked the night’s surprise song. Arizona got a treat with “Dirty White Chucks”- a special request from a longtime fan. Nightly ran through nearly 20 songs, getting their audience moving and sweating despite the fall temperatures. 

Eventually the lights came up and the party ended but not before every fan in the room was made to feel more like family- both bands brought everyone into their circle and had them leaving with huge smiles on their faces.

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Story and photos by Olivia Khiel