Author Archives: Jacob Leffel

Outdoor concert season is here in Chicago, and Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island is in full swing. There are plenty of things to do in Chicago in the summertime, but outdoor concerts are top of the list for many folks.

Huntington Bank is located in the Loop/Downtown area of Chicago, so you get an awesome view of the skyline. A great view and a concert—what could be better than that? The Briston Maroney and Peach Pit co-headlining Long Hair, Long Life tour is on the road this summer, playing amphitheaters across the country. It sounds pretty nice for them to get a whole summer of touring, but for this night, the Chicago natives got to enjoy this tour on their home turf.

Briston Maroney played first in Chicago, although on co-headlining tours, they switch off who will play first. As the sun was setting on the Chicago skyline, Briston Maroney hit the stage. He plays with a certainly unique stage presence, but is high energy throughout the whole show. He seems like the type of person who just genuinely loves music and the ability to express himself. He talked about being accepted during his set and how music gives everyone the opportunity to do so. He talked about how grateful he was to be able to tour doing what he loves.

The 27-year-old Florida native has a few songs that have gained prominence, but he is really coming into his own on this tour. Commonly known for “freaking out on the interstate,” his setlist is full of indie rock jams. He does slow it down for a few songs and builds a campfire vibe on his stage. What I liked about his set was his use of props and set design. He really does a good job of setting a scene.

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PHOENIX, AZ | Shakey Graves and the 10th anniversary of And The War Came tour came through Phoenix on April Fools Day, and the show was no joke. Celebrating the 10-year anniversary of some of his biggest hits, Shaky Graves delivers a consistent message with the same power.

I have seen Shakey live before, but nothing quite like this. He wrote the songs on that record at a low point in his life, and the lyrics stem from challenges he has battled. To take them back on the road 10 years later, at such a different point in his career, is something special to witness from the artist.

He’s also quite the storyteller, both sonically and on the mic. He spoke in between almost every song with little tidbits about the song or his journey. It was very stream-of-consciousness and offered an intimate insight into the brain of Shakey Graves. He mixed in two of his most popular songs at the end, but the tour captures And The War Came straight through.

Shakey plays both extremely complicated guitar parts while effectively marching in place with one foot hitting a kick drum and the other a tambourine—he’s been doing this for years, yet still plays with a band. They make a lot of noise because Shakey is an octopus, and he’s one of the most impressive, unique guitar players I have seen live. He mixes in a little bit of bluegrass, rock, folk—and a mystery blend that I have only heard from Shakey.

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PHOENIX, AZ | The Florida-based rock band Flipturn made a Phoenix appearance on their Burnout Days tour, headlining the Van Buren. Supported by Krooked Kings, Flipturn is beginning to level up.

The last time Flipturn played Phoenix they played a much smaller venue that holds much fewer than the Van Buren. They are touring in support of their sophomore album Burnout Days, and have been on a successful track since their first release, playing prestigious bills like Lollapalooza, Governors Ball, and SXSW.

The night was kicked off by indie rock band Krooked Kings. Building upon their own momentum, they have built a loyal fan base through a committed touring schedule. The band has been on the road perfecting their craft, and they have been busy recording new music and mixed in a little bit of everything to their opening set. They are dedicated to their artistry, but more importantly, the fans took the time to hang out by their merch table after their set. They’re booked through the end of March and then I am excited to see where this year takes them.

Touring on their sophomore album, the Flipturn 21 song setlist features fan favorites from other albums such as “August,” “Sad Disco,” and “Glistening.” According to Spotify, the most popular song on the newest album is the title track, “Burnout Days.” This song was featured second in their set.

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TEMPE, AZ | For only the second year, the last weekend of February hosted the Extra Innings Festival in Tempe, AZ. Acting as the second weekend to the Innings Festival, Extra Innings offers fans the unique ability to celebrate baseball and music.

Honoring the start of spring training for Major League Baseball, the festival takes advantage of great weather and half of the professional baseball teams training here. Spring training kicks off during the first weekend and is in full swing by the time Extra Innings rolls around. This coverage will feature day two of the second weekend and, unfortunately, the end of the baseball-themed music experience for now. We have had the opportunity to cover the back to back festivals for years now, and it’s true what they say about time flying when you’re having fun.

The festival is indeed jam-packed with baseball, music, food, and fun. There is something there for everyone, and a very family-friendly event. Extra Innings specifically employs a more country, Americana, folk-inspired lineup, while the first weekend typically rolls out a rock ‘n’ roll event. There’s just something special about listening to country music in the sun during the month of February, effectively kicking off festival season.

The festival is held in Tempe Beach Park in Tempe, AZ. Extra Innings features two stages and only one act plays at a time. This allows fans to either hang out near one stage and enjoy the activities, secure a good spot for the next act, or walk in between stages and see a little bit of everything. On the one side, just beneath Mill/Tempe Bridge, is the headlining stage, Home Plate. Home Plate is right by the main entrance and can be seen from miles away.

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TEMPE, AZ | For only the second year, Extra Innings Music Festival followed the spring training baseball inspired weekend, Innings Festival. Celebrating the combined love of baseball and music, Innings Festival has been held in Tempe, AZ since 2018. Just last year, they added a second weekend.

Spring training for Major League Baseball starts the same weekend as Innings Festival and is in full swing—literally—by the second weekend for Extra Innings Festival. Just as the name implies, it’s just like extra innings of a baseball game. It follows the same setup and features as the first weekend, just extra excitement.

As a result of desert weather, half of Major League Baseball teams train here in the spring, while the other half train in Florida. The weather is reason enough to visit Arizona in February, but now fans are treated to two different music festivals. While Innings typically rolls out a more rock ‘n’ roll inspired lineup, Extra Innings features a more Country and Americana lineup. This weekend especially featured some new faces in the music scene while capping off the days with legends of the game.

The festival grounds are held in Tempe Beach Park that Tempe Town Lake runs alongside. The grounds feature two stages that are held on opposite sides. Right beneath Tempe Bridge sits Home Plate. Home Plate is almost designed like a baseball diamond with refreshments lining the left side and bleacher seating lining the right hand side.

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TEMPE, AZ | Day two of Innings Festival kicked off at Tempe Beach Park on Saturday the 22nd. Following the high bar set by day one, day two had a lot in store for the festival attendees.

For the uninitiated, Innings Festival is an event in Tempe, Arizona that celebrates the opening weekend of MLB Spring Training. Not only are there many people from other states who live in Arizona, half of the league trains in Arizona making it a weekend often circled on the calendar. For most of the country February is a very cold month and outdoor time is limited, however in Arizona, it’s the best time to be outdoors. With baseball and music going on, the weekend is jam packed with activity.

Friday was headlined by Fallout Boy and featured other legendary artists such as All American Rejects and the Black Keys during the day. The weekend certainly had a rock and roll vibe to it featuring artists who cover the entire spectrum. From blues, to pop, to punk there was a little something for everyone throughout the weekend. Day two kicked off with younger artists, Anna Graves and 18-year old Grace Bowers. The young prodigy, Grace Bowers, has a very bright future in music. Already the spotlight in her band, she and the Hodge Podge will have a busy year.

The midday slot featured high energy from The Kills who are an absolute blast to watch, and Gary Clark Jr. who embodies the soul of Jimi Hendrix. I have always wished I could have covered a Hendrix show or anything of the sort, and this is the closest I will get. As the sun began to set, Andrew McMahon took to the piano. We met a good number of fans who were strictly at this festival for Jack’s Mannequin. The band had taken a very long break before 2024 and are back and better than ever. They actually played their first gig as a band in Tempe, and Jack mentioned it almost as a homecoming.

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TEMPE, AZ | Since 2018, the Innings Festival has been held in Tempe, Arizona, to celebrate the start of Spring Training for Major League Baseball. For the readers unfamiliar with spring training, the league is split in two, and half the teams train in Arizona and the other half in Florida. Taking advantage of the warm weather, Arizona natives and tourists alike are treated to a weekend jam-packed with activity. The Innings Festival has taken many shapes and sizes since 2018 and brings something a little different each year. We at TVD have been lucky enough to cover this festival two years in a row and have greatly enjoyed the weekend both years. This year brought us a rock and roll-inspired lineup with features covering the last two decades.

Bringing us absolute classics like The Killers and Fall Out Boy, to newer sounds like Jack Kays and Grace Bowers, there is plenty of entertainment featured at Innings Festival, even outside of the music. The festival has an entire section dedicated to just baseball. This includes bringing out legends of the game such as Jake Peavy and St. Louis Cardinals legend Vince Coleman, batting cages, a game to clock how fast you can pitch, and the ability to interact with the players. Truly melding the love of music and baseball, the festival offers quite a unique experience.

Tempe Beach Park is laid out almost in a big “U” shape. On the one side is “Home Plate,” the headlining stage. If you’re facing the stage, refreshments will be lining the left side, and VIP will be on the right. In the middle of that is a big open space to watch the show, almost as if a baseball diamond is set up. Tempe Lake lines the entire park, and there are kayaks you can rent to experience the festival from the water. The schedule of the day alternates by stage so you can either walk in between each or stay at one and secure a good seat for the next artist.

At 5:00 PM, one of my favorite bands to shoot took to Right Field. The All American Rejects play with an unmatched energy that is so fun to see. The band has been around for my entire life, and yet the two times I’ve seen them felt like they were fully in their prime. The band is timeless, and even as the music industry changes, there is something about their personality that will cement them in memory.

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PHOENIX, AZ | Almost Monday brought their “The Dive Tour” to Phoenix, Arizona, just one stop over from where they grew up in San Diego, and they sold out the Valley Bar basement with ease.

Valley Bar is one of the more unique venues in downtown Phoenix and is certainly a hidden gem—just like the band itself. When you take in Almost Monday’s set, you’ll think to yourself, “Oh, I know this one.” “Oh wow, I know this one too.” This being the case, it’s just a matter of time before they hit the larger music scene—hard. The fans this night in Phoenix got really lucky because Almost Monday will never play venues this intimate again, and the next time we see them they’ll be selling out theaters. The younger band has the stage presence to rock anywhere they go, especially frontman Dawson Daughtery. Dawson looks like he has been performing for his entire life—and while he probably has—he’s an absolute natural.

The night kicked off by a very strong frontman in his own respect, Adrian Lyles. Adrian has a similar sound to Frank Ocean, chasing that alternative R&B groove. It takes guts to cover a Frank Ocean song, but Adrian covered “Pink + White” like it was nothing. It’s clear he is an actor, because he interacts with the crowd and performs like he was born to do it. The once member of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Adrian has hit the music industry pursuing a new realm. His acting experience certainly doesn’t hurt, and Adrian is a ton of fun to watch. Another artist I predict to have a lot of success in 2025.

The headliner, Almost Monday, the next big thing. Emerging from garage jams and D.I.Y. gigs. Almost Monday—Dawson Daugherty (vocals), Cole Clisby (guitar), and Luke Fabry (bass)—burst onto the scene in 2020 with a sound that embodies the sun-soaked essence of California. As I mentioned, even if you haven’t heard their name, you have heard their music. The sold out Valley Bar crowd certainly had, and they let the band know it.

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PHOENIX, AZ | Canadian native, Alex Sampson is on tour in the States playing alongside Jamie Miller.

First seen on America’s Got Talent, Alex is on a mission to spread his music. Last year, Alex released the “Hopeless Romantic” EP. The seven-track body of work illuminates the nuances of his artistry. It’s the second EP of his career, and he’s taken it on the road featuring his most popular song on Spotify, “Pretty Baby.” The slow-dance vibe is a fresh take on an old school, melodic sound.

Alex has a very strong voice that he uses to blend a true singer-songwriter acoustic sound with modern pop. His energetic performances engage the entire crowd and it’s clear he won’t be merely an opener for much longer. He captivates an audience like any headliner I have seen, and it was more than evident that he had fans in the building. Although touring for his EP “Hopeless Romantic,” Alex mixes in some of his earlier tunes.

I captured his set at the Crescent Ballroom in downtown Phoenix, AZ. It’s one of the better venues in the city in my opinion because of its layout. The 500 person room allows quite the interaction with the singer. There is no pit and many artists I have seen play this room often converse with the audience. It offers a unique ability to interact with someone you have listened to, watched, or only followed online.

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PHOENIX, AZ | Dayglow made their Phoenix stop at the Arizona Financial Theatre on Friday night and the group brought everything they had to the desert. Dayglow the band is on Dayglow the tour in support of Dayglow the album—I’ve personally never seen such a trifecta—but the self-titled project and tour is a true testament to the genuine nature of the band.

The 23-song setlist includes three encores and a mix of the band’s entire discography. Despite the album title tour, Dayglow delivers all the fan favorites and includes a little bit of the entire five year resume. The venue hosts shows throughout the week, but Dayglow locked in a coveted Friday night slot. With the year wrapping up and tours coming to a close, fans deserve as much music as they can get before 2024 ends—and this one was a high.

The show was opened by Teenage Dads, a young crew from Australia. Arizona Financial Theatre is a big venue and it can be a difficult feat for a young band to engage a crowd, however Teenage Dads not only has the talent, but the personality to make the building theirs. The band began releasing music in 2017 and is presently making their name known in the States. They are traveling with Dayglow for the majority of the tour and seeing what our music scene has to offer. In return they offer American crowds pure entertainment and a ton of energy as a warm-up for Dayglow.

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PHOENIX, AZ | Cage The Elephant is back on the road with support from Young The Giant, touring coast to coast this summer. Starting off in Salt Lake City, the Neon Pill tour made its way down to Phoenix, Arizona on the 4th of July weekend. Bringing some fireworks of their own, the show is brought to life by pyrotechnics and lasers.

Playing alongside legends in their own right, Young the Giant is just about the best opening bang you can bring with you. It takes a special band to come through Phoenix in the 110 degree July weather, let alone playing an outdoor amphitheater. Nevertheless, YTG absolutely rocked out on stage to a sold out 20,000 person crowd at the Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre.

Young the Giant warmed up the crowd before CTE with some throwbacks of their own. Celebrating the 10 year anniversary of their 2014 album Mind Over Matter, YTG is reviving their old tunes to a newer crowd. They have come through the Phoenix Valley area three times in the last year. Once on their headlining 2023 summer tour, a festival in early 2024, and now opening for CTE’s 2024 Neon Pill tour. I have been lucky enough to see them all three times and they bring something new to every show.

It’s incredibly impressive how every concert feels like a completely different performance. Their setlist covers their entire six album discography highlighting how their alternative rock sound has changed throughout the years. Their setlist creates a perfect compliment to the alternative rock sound Cage has as well. Fans should not take for granted the fact they get to see a headlining caliber band open for Cage the Elephant.

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PHOENIX, AZ | The Tedeschi Trucks Band stopped by Arizona Financial Theatre in downtown Phoenix on June 11th traveling on their Deuces Wild tour. The trek started in the Pacific Northwest and made its way to the desert.

Formed in 2010, the Tedeschi Trucks band is a merger of love and rock ‘n’ roll. After starting his own band at 15, Derek Trucks joined The Allman Brothers Band at 20 years old while continuing his solo venture. Trucks eventually joined forces with his wife Susan to create what we know today. Susan Tedeschi in her own respect is a multiple Grammy winner and started releasing music as the Susan Tedeschi Band in 1995. She met Dereck Trucks opening for The Allman Brothers on a 1999 summer tour, and the rest is history.

The show was opened by folk singer Joe Purdy. Part comedian, the singer performs songs about traveling through life and its ups and downs. Classic folk guitar with harmonica, Joe is a one man band. For just one person, he kept the theater engaged the entire time and threw in a lot of laughs. I actually can’t stress enough how funny this guy is, with absolutely no shortage of musical talent as well. One of the more entertaining opening acts I have seen, you would have thought Purdy was in a room with his best friends, simply cracking jokes and strumming his guitar.

Tedeschi Trucks Band came onto the stage swinging. You’ll find some bands that ease into their sets, but with two firepowers up front in Derek and Susan, this band comes out strong. The two have been touring as long as I have been alive, and it’s extremely evident on stage. Drawing on their long history of blues and rock ‘n’ roll, the joint-venture absolutely jams. Featuring a 10-piece band behind them, there is no shortage of energy from the group.

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