Arizona went chasing the good times this week when The Runarounds brought The Minivan Tour to a sold out crowd at The Van Buren on Tuesday. Fans may have gotten to know them through their TV series, but the very real sunny rock group made the leap from screen to stage on this headlining run. They were joined by Easy Honey as both groups lit up the room with their earnest performances.
South Carolina indie rockers Easy Honey had the room captivated immediately with their laidback stage presence, heartfelt lyrics and genuine joy at being onstage. The quartet of Selby Austin, Darby McGlone, Charlie Holt and Webster Austin spent their set grinning at the fans on the barricade, encouraging the room to dance along to music that felt as comforting and sweet as the honey in their name. The band whipped out a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Silver Springs” and the room jumped into action, illuminating the stage with the lights from hundreds of phones as everyone swayed along. Easy Honey even teased some new music from their upcoming EP release and got everyone excited for their return to Phoenix later this spring. The end of their set had a canister of honey launched at the stage, drawing a laugh from the band as they made way for the headlining act.
The Runarounds may have shot to fame onscreen but their longstanding friendship and musical camaraderie lend a depth to the group that goes beyond scripted television. William Lipton, Axel Ellis, Jeremy Yun, Zendé Murdock and Jesse Golliher practically sprinted onstage to start the show with “Ghosts” and “Cellophane” as the now completely full venue sang along. The guys traded off on vocal duties throughout the set and shredded away on various guitars to show off their collective musical chops.
The band has that sunny indie pop-rock vibe locked down on songs like “15 Rootbeers” and “Shoelaces”, plus the addition of Jet’s “Are You Gonna Be My Girl”- a rendition that had the older folks in the room thinking the kids just might be alright after all. Beyond the music, this is a group of guys that love performing- they smiled through every song, riffed off each other and even jumped onto the barricade to be closer to an ecstatic audience.
The main set concluded with “Senior Year”, capturing a moment in time for this young band still finding their way as musicians and as people. The crowd’s deafening cheers summoned them back onstage for their cover of Amy Winehouse’s “Valerie” and the final number, “Downtown”. The Van Buren was filled with light and warmth throughout the show and it’s clear that this band loves their fans intensely (and vice versa). Their exit was bittersweet to those who’d been looking forward to this tour but with a reception this strong, The Runarounds won’t be skipping Phoenix the next time their “Minivan” hits the road.
