Tucson was merry and bright this week when The Format concluded their acoustic tour with a sold out night at La Rosa, the newest venue in town. Housed in a former monastery, the stage sat perfectly beneath the building’s domed endcap and each act’s sound was lifted to the rafters as if on angel wings. The recently reunited hometown band was joined by fellow Arizona legends Gin Blossoms and Jeff Bufano and Chris Corak for a mellow and surprisingly emotional evening.
Longtime friends of the band Jeff Bufano and Chris Corak took the stage first to perform an introspective set of songs that hit home with longtime fans. The room was quiet and attentive during their performance, letting the music wash over them to start the night. Nate Ruess said later in the evening that it wouldn’t be a proper show for The Format without Bufano and Corak on the bill, a sentiment that the crowd wholeheartedly agreed with based on the volume of the cheers.
Tempe’s own Gin Blossoms are celebrating nearly two decades together and their love of performing live glowed through their direct support set. La Rosa was packed to the brim with fans of all ages, some of whom have been with the band for their entire run. Singer Robin Wilson was armed with his signature tambourine and the band’s plethora of hits as he encouraged the audience to clap along to “Follow You Down”, “Hey Jealousy” and much more. The band also showed deep appreciation and gratitude for The Format, noting that they’ll always pick up the phone when their Arizona counterparts call. The set was a callback to a different time for a lot of fans in the room and emotions were running high as the final band of the night made their appearance.
La Rosa was bathed in shades of blue, pink and orange when The Format took their places to an avalanche of applause. Their new album is still on the horizon so the band pulled from what is now nostalgic material, kicking off with “If Work Permits” and “Tune Out” as the crowd sang along at a polite volume for the pseudo-acoustic energy of the show. Ruess joked midway through that the set had evolved into an “MTV Unplugged” situation before the tour as the band reimagined their early-2000s catalog perfectly for the beautiful venue space.
The Format also reminded their audience that they are back with confidence, adding in “Shot in the Dark” as the first taste of their upcoming album during this show. Naturally, songs like “Dog Problems” and “Oceans” stirred up powerful emotions in the audience (more than a few attendees could be seen welling up during the latter) and the serene “On Your Porch” was the perfect conclusion to the main set.
The band briefly disappeared before the fans pulled them back for “Boycott Heaven” and “The First Single (You Know Me)”, even keeping the show going longer on “Holy Roller”. It was clear that The Format could have gone all night, feeding off of the reciprocated energy from the crowd and the smiles shining up at the stage mirrored on the faces of the band. With one final bow, The Format closed the book on their first full year as a reunited collective and fans left La Rosa’s stunning sanctuary safe in the knowledge that there is much more to come in the future.
