Show Review: Bastille takes fans “Back to the Future” in Mesa
Ever heard of Future, Inc.? The company that powers the Futurescape Dream Engine? Head to a Bastille show, and you’ll quickly become acquainted. The British four piece, who’s currently on their Give Me the Future Tour with Alice Merton, has themed their live show based on a fictional artificial intelligence engine that creates visual dreamscapes […]
Show Review: St. Paul and the Broken Bones close headlining tour with perfect energy in AZ
Turning the walls of The Van Buren into a cathedral is a tall order, but St. Paul and the Broken Bones filed onstage and took us all to church on Thursday night. The Alabama soul group incorporated seemingly every instrument they could find for an evening of mindblowing music. The eight piece band hung colorful […]
Show Review: nothing,nowhere takes over Tempe Marketplace for intense set
“I want to see a circle pit at the fucking mall!” The moshing orders were given by nothing,nowhere singer Joe Mulherin and the crowd at Tempe Marketplace delivered. The band brought their eclectic mashup of rock, metal and rap to a rowdy Cinco de Mayo tour stop in Arizona. Fellow emo rapper Guccihighwaters took the […]
Show Review: Betcha and Arlie host rowdy basement gig in Mesa
The DIY scene is alive and well in Arizona, with downtown Mesa’s Nile Underground fully in business hosting bands and fans—and getting sweaty doing it. Such was certainly the case on Monday night when the youths packed The Underground for Betcha and Arlie after months of patiently waiting for the groups to tour. Warming up […]
Show Review: Orville Peck brings The Van Buren full circle on Bronco Tour stop
Before life as we knew it came to a screeching halt in March of 2020, Orville Peck was on track to tour all year on his debut album and visited The Van Buren for its final show before the pandemic took over. This week saw his and the venue’s redemption as he returned for a […]
Show Review: Conan Gray glows at sold out Phoenix tour stop
Conan Gray whirled into Phoenix on Monday glowing from a weekend Coachella performance and a renewed vigor to be back on the road after so much time away. His nearly sold out North American tour drew hundreds of hysterical (in the best way) fans to The Van Buren for a night of feeling everything all […]
Show Review: Hippo Campus shows off new sounds at sold out AZ concert
Sometime in the last few years, Hippo Campus became the kind of Tumblr mood board indie darlings that sell out venues and inspire tattoos. Perhaps it’s because they nailed the feel-good summer rock on their debut (2017’s Landmark) or because they’re growing up right alongside their fans, with earnest lyrics about the trials and tribulations […]
Show Review: Wallows’ Tell Me That It’s Over Tour celebrates new album in Phoenix
Wallows is riding the high of a brand new album on a mostly sold out tour this spring. The Tell Me That It’s Over Tour hit The Van Buren like a tidal wave, packing the iconic Phoenix venue for a Sunday night party only this band could throw. Spill Tab provided the only support for […]
Show Review: Joywave cleanses The Nile with colorful AZ show
If you were at The Nile in downtown Mesa on Saturday night, you know who was the star of the show. It wasn’t almost monday, despite the fans that were movin’ and groovin’ the whole time during their set. It wasn’t even Joywave, the beloved headliner who is out on their Cleanse tour, promoting the […]
Show Review: Yungblud’s Life on Mars Tour concludes with huge sold out AZ show
The category was camp and the Life on Mars Tour delivered in spades for the final stop in Phoenix on Saturday. Led by manic British rocker Yungblud, the tour also featured Palaye Royale and Poutyface, drawing a sold out crowd to The Van Buren for a night of wild shenanigans. Newcomer Poutyface started things off […]