A sold out crowd packed into The Rebel Lounge for a different kind of Sunday service this week when Des Rocs brought his New York bluster all the way to the desert. His headlining tour turned the iconic Phoenix venue into a sweaty, steamy rock club as the fans let loose with him and tour opener Romes.
The unspoken goal with this lineup was to keep the room moving and Romes was ready to take on the challenge. Their set was pure adrenaline, from staccato drums to the pounding beats of their electronic sounds, the duo’s music was impossibly infectious. Their set was brief but they kept the room thumping and the anticipation buzzing for the headlining performance, doing their opening duties to perfection.
In his typical flamboyant fashion, Des Rocs emerged from a surprisingly thick cloud of fog decked out in head to toe leather and his signature curls, getting hearts pounding with “This Land” and “The Juice”. The Arizona heat already had the room tipping into an uncomfortable warmth but Des Rocs turned up the temperature even more as he shed his jacket to properly rock out.
Rebel’s stage transformed under Des Rocs’ feet as he stomped back and forth in front of his adoring audience, encouraging them to sing loudly and dance with abandon as the night went on. He’s an undeniably charismatic performer with the musical chops to back it up- more than one shredding guitar solo had the front row mesmerized throughout the show. Fan favorites like “I Am the Lightning” and “Used to the Darkness” drew huge cheers and enthusiastic singing from a crowd where many attendees were celebrating many years and many shows with Des Rocs.
For his part, Des Rocs was all swagger and smiles, clearly thrilled to be onstage with his band and his people to celebrate a movement that’s only continued to grow. He even treated the room to the first live performance of “The Riders of Red Hook (Legends Never Die)” and a very soulful acoustic version of “Maybe, I”. No one was ready to relinquish the night but Des Rocs sent everyone home in style with the rock trifecta of “Let Me Live/Let Me Die”, “Nothing Personal” and “HVY MTL DRMR” for the encore. He puts on a show like no other performer in his genre and these sold out crowds are no less that he’s deserved from putting in the work all these years. Phoenix is already a favorite stop on his many cross-country journeys so the desert will be welcoming him back as soon as he’s ready to return.
