When artists make the trek from the other side of the world, it’s almost a rule that you have to show out in support. And the fans turned up in droves for TOURZILLA, featuring Australian co-headliners Vacations and Last Dinosaurs and Atlanta-based Breathe Alone, which stopped in Phoenix for one of the tour’s last shows.
Bathe Alone, the project of Bailey Crone and her touring band, eased us into the show with a dreamy, shoegaze-y set. The group was all smiles on stage, in their own world making music for the fans who showed up early.
An opening act is important for setting the tone and generating excitement for the headliner(s) — but, as we came to discover, there’s no better way to hype up a mostly millennial and Gen Z crowd than to put the bouncing DVD logo on the stage backdrop screen. Every time the logo approached a corner, a cheer grew louder until the disappointing bounce. Until it hit the corner, and the screen went black.
The crowd went wild, and Last Dinosaurs emerged on stage in matching suits. After an intro of “Afterlife” and “Sense,” the band thanked the crowd for the warm welcome all the way from Brisbane. It was their first time in Phoenix, they said, and they were delighted to be here. The fans were just as excited, singing along as Last Dinosaurs played a handful of songs from each album: “Italo Disco” and “CDMX” and “Andy” were highlights, as was the commentary in both English and Spanish. Closing with “Zoom,” the group left us wistful and nostalgic, remembering simpler times.
But there was still more to come with Vacations, who continued the matching outfit trend with mechanic-style jumpsuits. The four piece was met with roars from the crowd, and they responded with a high-energy rendition of “Next Exit” that kicked off their 15-song setlist drawing mostly from 2018’s Changes. Throughout, the group was dynamic, crisscrossing the stage and engaging each other, and the fans ate it up every time. The set concluded with “Midwest,” a fittingly American way to end shows on this leg of TOURZILLA.
Check out all the photos!
Story and photos by Taylor Knauf
