Show Review: St. Lucia and Arkells return with adventurous new music
It takes a special artist to sell out The Crescent Ballroom in Phoenix long before day of show, but it’s to be expected when that artist hasn’t been to town in awhile. So, it felt like somewhat of a homecoming on Sunday night when Arkells and St. Lucia graced the downtown venue with their presence […]
Show Review: Maggie Rogers is pop music’s next supernova
Pop’s dancing queen Maggie Rogers graced Phoenix with her enigmatic presence on Sunday. Joined by Australia’s latest export Mallrat, fans packed The Van Buren to sing, dance and cry along with their favorites. Mallrat (real name Grace Shaw) was the solo opener for this tour. The 19-year-old singer’s ethereal voice, mixed with beats provided by […]
Show Review: FIDLAR takes California skate punk to Phoenix
Skate punk invaded The Van Buren on Friday for the Phoenix stop of FIDLAR’s fall tour. Teens in beanies and Thrasher shirts roamed the venue in packs while the older hipster crowd stuck to the bleachers for what ended up being a rowdy show. FIDLAR brought two openers, choosing The Side Eyes from their home […]
Show Review: PVMNTS and WSTR prove that pop punk’s not dead
Loud, messy pop punk may have fallen by the wayside, but some up-and-coming bands are leading the revival. True to form, PVMNTS took over The Nile Theater’s Underground venue with WSTR, Hold Close and PCL for a wall-shaking Wednesday. Hopeless Records’ string of stellar discoveries continues with Hold Close. In what was the strongest set […]
Show Review: Power pop reigned supreme with MAX at Crescent Ballroom
Pop wunderkind MAX brought the club to Phoenix on Tuesday for a party we wished would never end. Joined by EZI and Nina Nesbitt, the night was empowering and energetic. Newcomer EZI started things off with her brand of mellow electro-pop, backed by a live guitarist/keyboardist and percussionist. Her slow jam version of The Killer’s […]
Show Review: Jeremy Zucker and joan bring varied genre styles to Phoenix show
When you walk into a venue and see the underage section taking up most of the floor, you can infer a few things. For one, you’ll probably be watching the show through the phone screen of the person in front of you. But for two, you’re definitely seeing a decent, if not great, up-and-comer. We […]
Show Review: Sure Sure get into the groove at Valley Bar
Walking into a packed Valley Bar on a Sunday night was a pleasant and entirely welcome surprise. Tourmates Wilderado and Sure Sure managed to fill the hip basement venue on the most unlikely of evenings for what turned out to be one groovy party. Wilderado’s indie folk-rock created a hype in the audience that’s hard […]
Show Review: Mayday Parade aims to keep the rock show alive on Welcome to Sunnyland Tour
Rock shows reign supreme this fall touring season, with Mayday Parade returning to Phoenix on Thursday with a full lineup of alternative acts. Oh, Weatherly started early, bringing their brand of light alt-rock to The Van Buren’s stage. Singer Blake Roses’ solid vocals kept the band’s short set solid and fun. There was some palpable […]
Show Review: All Time Low step into headlining slot for Summer Ever After Tour
“This is pretty fucking good for a weeknight!” All Time Low’s unexpected headlining tour made its Phoenix stop on Monday, filling The Van Buren with highly excitable fans. The Never-Ending Summer Tour lost its original headliner when Dashboard Confessional was forced to drop the remaining dates due to a family emergency. The show, as they […]
Show Review: Atlas Genius praise The Van Buren, Phoenix and their massive crowd
It’s hard to go wrong with an Atlas Genius performance. They have the triple threat of a solid catalog, a friendly demeanor, and the rare quality of sounding—somehow—better live than on a recording. “This is the best venue in the country, by the way,” lead vocalist/guitarist Keith Jeffery said about The Van Buren, which is […]