The line was wrapped around the iconic Nile Theater in downtown Mesa this week when Hail the Sun’s Cut. Tour. Fade. Back. visited Arizona for a sold out show. The band has a legion of devoted fans in Phoenix and they turned out in force to catch an incredible lineup that also included Foxy Shazam, Makari and Mella.
Mella started the party with their own brand of post-hardcore, backed by unpredictable (in the best way) stage presence and delightfully tongue-in-cheek song titles. The band was not afraid to take the night in an appropriately weird direction and those in the room unfamiliar with their shtick quickly got on board by the end of the set. Rock group Makari took the second slot with a more classic take on the genre- including the jumping and moshing calls to action. Their boundless energy and positivity onstage allowed the crowd to let loose and have fun with their short but entirely memorable performance.
Foxy Shazam burst onto the Nile’s stage with the force of a hurricane and had the room by the throat for the entirety of their set. Singer Eric Nally began the performance with a somersault into “Yes! Yes! Yes!” and “Magic” while the rest of the band allowed their sounds to crash into each other, bookended by Sky White’s unhinged keyboard antics and Alex Nauth’s trumpet prowess. By the third song, “Killin’ It”, White had already placed his keys atop the willing crowd to literally play from the air and it was still nearly impossible to decide where to look as the set continued. The first notes of “Holy Touch” whipped the floor into a frenzy before the band slowed things down to croon about the power of love for a brief interlude. The set ended with a full body experience to the tunes of “The Rocketeer” and “The Only Way to My Heart…”, leaving the audience breathless and stunned from the display they’d just witnessed.
The anticipation for Hail the Sun’s arrival reached a pitch that actually had the crowd chanting the band’s name as they emerged from the shadows into a blaze of colorful LED light. “The Drooling Class” and “Falling On Deaf Ears” began a performance that gave the tired audience a second wind as both the band and the fans threw themselves into the final stage of the evening. One undeniable thing about Arizona is that this scene has a deep seated love for Hail the Sun and they have shown that admiration for many years and countless performances each time the band visits the Valley on their tours. That love came to a pinnacle with this particular sold out night and the sentiments were reflected on the beaming faces of the band throughout the set. Just like Foxy before them, Hail the Sun left their crowd winded by the final encore of “Black Serotonin”, pressing another incredible entry into the ongoing logs of stellar Arizona shows by this beloved band.
