Fresh from an invigorating performance at When We Were Young Festival, Mayday Parade- alongside The Cab and The Paradox- brought their timeless energy to Arizona Financial Theatre last week. It was a night that invited the audience to sing along passionately to plenty of nostalgic favorites and introduced the band’s new music to a diehard crowd.
The Paradox has been putting in the work since their formation, leveling up to this cross country tour with some scene staples. The rock quartet projected their band name on the screen behind them, warmed up their banter and proceeded to thoroughly impress the early crowd with their boundless energy. They were playful and funny onstage, ribbing each other between songs and launching right into each track without warning to get the room moving. It’s still plenty warm in Arizona but The Paradox knew exactly which buttons to push to turn up the heat.
Now in their musical reboot era, The Cab is back and arguably better than ever. The Las Vegas rockers are touring with the strength of their past catalog with the added bonus of their brand new EP to supplement an already highly anticipated performance at each stop. The band kicked off with “One of THOSE Nights” to make sure everyone was dancing right out of the gate, before slowing things down just a little on “Temporary Bliss”. The band reintroduced themselves on “Stay This Way Forever” while never forgetting where they began- and “Bounce” hits just as hard well over 10 years later. The anthemic “Angel With a Shotgun” closed out their set and the joy at being back onstage was reflected on the faces of both the band and the fans as they exited.
Mayday Parade is one of the most consistent touring presences in the scene and that streak continued with this run. Arizona has a lot of love for the band, crowding close on the barricade- while catching the eye of singer Derek Sanders- and raising their hands and voices en masse on “Jersey” and “Piece of Your Heart”. The latter was preceded by Sanders sharing the news of his wedding, drawing cheers from the room as he flashed his wedding ring with a smile. The connection that Mayday Parade shares with their fans has only grown stronger over the years, sharing a wealth of happiness along the ties that bind everyone together.
The band’s set was a whirlwind of guitar-driven energy, with Sanders tossing his signature long hair while the rest of the band hit every note with flair. “Kids in Love” is another classic sing-a-long, right next to “By the Way” and “Oh Well, Oh Well”. Mayday Parade has always perfectly balanced their older material with the constant flow of new musical output, making sure that the fans never get lost in the shuffle. One lucky fan scored a guitar pick on the barricade before the night ended with the driving “Black Cat” and- of course- “Jamie All Over”.
With every passing year and every passing tour, Mayday Parade has retained the magic woven into their music and the genuine camaraderie between themselves and their devoted fans. The show at Arizona Financial Theatre was a deepening of that bond and fans left the venue already missing the group and eagerly awaiting their return in 2026.
