The Strumbellas just want everyone to throw their worries away- at least for the 85 minutes they have onstage each night of their spring headlining tour. The Into Dust Tour visited The Van Buren this week, filling the Phoenix venue with smiling fans and positive energy- a warm respite from the troubles outside for one beautiful moment.
Folk singer Sam Burchfield opened the show, joined on acoustic guitar by Ryan Plumley. The duo performed a slow and steady set tinged with Southern comfort and a healthy dose of harmonica to get the room nice and cozy. It was Burchfield’s last performance on this run and Phoenix sent him off in style at the conclusion of his magnetic set.
The Strumbellas took the stage right into a sunset (or sunrise) of their own making, bathing the room in bright colors to match the sparkling energy of their songs. The Canadian group’s sound filled The Van Buren with a plethora of instruments- from violin to piano to a whole host of guitars- and woke up the audience as they danced along. Singer Jimmy Chauveau never stopped moving, jumping onto the carefully placed platforms on both sides of the stage and making everyone smile with his antics.
The band’s encouragement inspired the audience to let loose on a Tuesday as they sang along to “Salvation”, “Sailing” and “Skin of My Teeth”. The indie/folk/rock/etc group let genre matter much less than the vibes that their music brought to the room, making the show an experience that everyone could relate to and enjoy. Beyond the music itself, The Strumbellas have an easy musical and personal chemistry that makes watching their performance even more joyful- this is a band that simply loves what they do and it shows. Their promised 85 minutes came to an end much too quickly but their mandate for the night was a success and fans left the room walking just a little bit lighter thanks to the upbeat spirit of The Strumbellas.
