Not that anyone ever wants to wait multiple years to see the bands they love, but Marianas Trench rewarded our patience with their triumphant return to Phoenix to close out their Force of Nature Tour. The sold out show, which was rescheduled from September, was pure millennial joy and the perfect way to say goodbye to 2024.
PIAO kicked things off with her earworm pop tracks, from the sugary, belongs-in-a-videogame “Neopet” to the bumping beats of “flip phone” and ballad “Anticipatory Grief.” She’s got impressive range, both in style and in vocals, the latter most blatantly on display during her cover of Paramore’s “Still Into You.” And speaking of iconic pop artists, Hannah Montana inspired PIAO’s closing song, which delighted the crowd to no end. (Related: She really knows her audience.)
The assignment was to have fun on stage, and Arrows in Action seamlessly took over for PIAO with their high-energy set. They briefed the crowd before almost every song — “This one is sexy.” “This one is NOT sexy; it is SAD.” — and were all smiles playing through selections from “Built to Last” and “Be More.” As is tradition, the trio taught us the “Head in the Clouds” stomp and clap pattern so we could follow along if we didn’t already know it. After all, it’s a viral TikTok dance.
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But what is a show without a grand finale? The theatrics of Marianas Trench added intensity and awe to the energy of the venue. Opening with (the entirety of) “Thunderstruck” and the sounds of a major thunderstorm, the band emerged for the first time in Phoenix since 2019. Their harmonies were on point, the front-row fans knew every word — even the songs from Haven, which was released in August — and the nostalgia washed through the crowd for “POP 101” and “Stutter,” among others. The last-night-of-tour antics were also alive and well. For “Fallout,” the opening acts and crew waved streamer wands dramatically in the background. And for “Good to You,” PIAO came back on stage in an exaggerated Josh Ramsay cosplay. It was magnificent.
After so many months on the road, The Force of Nature Tour is in the books, and we were lucky to be there. Here’s to more memorable gigs in 2025!
