It’s a new era for Bay Ledges, and the crowd at Crescent Ballroom in Phoenix was the first to hear it live at the tour opener on Wednesday night. The glitch-pop artist debuted the entirety of the forthcoming Rivers (out next Friday!) and indulged fans on old favorites during a chill-but-upbeat set that’s an exciting glimpse at what’s to come.
Also on the Rivers Tour is DLG., the project of Dave De La Garza and his friends, who are a treat to have on stage with their easygoing nature and low key chillwave. This group also has a big year ahead with releases planned for this fall and spring 2025, and they excitedly made live debuts of some of their upcoming songs. The crowd, meanwhile, was immediately receptive and swayed along with the music accordingly.
The good vibes continued with Bay Ledges’ headlining set, which saw vocalist/producer Zach Hurd and his live band create the rich soundscapes his music is known for. Some parts of the set were live mixes where Hurd created the music one layer at a time — complete with a voice distorter — but Hurd also picked up a guitar and talked us through some of his new songs before closing with “Straight Jacket.”
The laid back nature of the first night of tour is always positive, with nobody taking themselves too seriously. It’s refreshing, and it’s exactly the energy the Rivers Tour brings. Don’t miss out.
