The unlikely but somehow perfect combination of Mother Mother and Cavetown visited Arizona Financial Theatre on Friday for an event that brought the overlap of two eclectic artists together. The lights were colorful and the vibes were whimsical as the packed theatre danced and swayed all night long.
Meet Me @ the Altar opened the evening with their punch of girl power and really pumped up the energy for the early crowd. The trio had six songs to show the audience what they’re made of and they had plenty of fans ready to sing along to “Now or Never” and “Kool” to end the set.
Mother Mother emerged in a haze of fog and spooky lighting and absolutely stunned the crowd with “Arms Tonite” and “Hayloft II” right off the bat. As this is a co-headlining tour, the band had the force of a full set to really put on a show- and they used every ounce of production to do so. Switching between blue and red lights for maximum effect, the band ran through a slew of hits like “Oleander” and “Back to Life” before launching into a medley that had a little something for everyone. They closed out with a reprise of “Hayloft” and “Burning Pile” to the delight of the fans.
The stage setup switched to a fairytale forest- complete with an inflatable tree stump platform and adorable mushrooms- as Robbie Skinner, aka Cavetown, strolled onstage. The audience went wild for his embroidered overalls (that matched with the talented band behind him) and we were immediately whisked away on a journey through his meandering discography. From “Sweet Tooth” to “Lemon Boy”, the audience spent the show nearly drowning out Skinner’s vocals as they put their full emotions into experiencing the show.
Skinner’s mild stage presence belies the power behind his songs and the fervor of the fanbase and he lets his soft vocals and guitar skills do all the talking. There were plenty of moments between songs where he expressed his happiness to be back on the road and commiserated with the front row about the Arizona summer heat. He may have been elevated above a large theatre but the general energy was that of singing along at a backyard barbecue with old friends. There was also plenty of Pride flags tossed at the stage, which Skinner happily frolicked with throughout the set.
Another sing a long to “Juliet” helped cap off an incredible main set before Skinner returned for a lovely encore of “888” and “Devil Town”. Fans of both Mother Mother and Cavetown each found something new to love with this tour lineup and the audience reluctantly exited the venue already swapping memories of their new favorite artists.
