With a new album hot off the presses and a major milestone celebrating another, it was high time for Bear Hands to embark on another tour, their first since early 2020. And the four-piece was long overdue for a stop in Phoenix, which made their intimate show at the Crescent Ballroom this week even more special.
As promised, Bear Hands kicked off their headlining set by playing Distraction in full, a delightful dive into simpler times. Breakout tracks “Giants” and “Agora” elicited smiles and singalongs from the fans, and the spark of nostalgia brightened everyone’s Monday.
But the show didn’t stop with the run-through — the back half of the set celebrated the entire Bear Hands catalog with songs as old as “What a Drag” from 2010, plus a handful of selections from the The Key to What, which was released last month. A small spoiler for anyone who hasn’t listened: The new stuff still feels authentic to the band but updated for 2024, no longer in the Tumblr age. And they’re clearly having fun performing it.
“2AM” is still the obvious closer, especially on a victory lap like this, so the crowd ended the night with a collective, “Nothing good happens past 2AM.” Timeless advice from a timeless band.
