Innings Festival Hits for the Cycle in Its Very First At-Bat
Article by Mitchell Davis
Photographs by kind permission of ALIVE Coverage
Innings Festival stepped up to the plate for its first at-bat March 23-25th in Tempe, Arizona, and it is safe to say they knocked it out of the park. From headlining sets by megastars at Home Plate Stage to up-and-comers on the smaller Left Field Stage, quality performances were one after another. The inaugural event benefited greatly from the scenic setting of Tempe Beach Park. Fans were able to take in top-notch performances upon rolling hills nestled against the Salt River. Beyond the music, the crowd seemed to carry on the laid-back vibe of spring training baseball.
FRIDAY
The opening at-bats on Friday were underattended, but that did not stop those on stage from giving it their all. Rising alternative rocker Mondo Cozmo showed off his impressive vocal range on the Left Field stage early on. Synthpop songsmiths Sylvan Esso were actually the most out-of-place act on the weekend’s bill, but that did not stop the crowd from dancing to their infectious new single “Parad(w/)me” as well as older tracks.
Young the Giant seemed to be the surprise of the day for some, thanks to a bigger live sound than his recordings and the energy of frontman Sameer Gadhia on songs such as their early hit “My Body.”
Headliner Queens of the Stone Age were by far the heaviest act of the weekend, and they proved it with an onslaught of rock from start to finish. An intense and strobe-heavy light show only ensured that the crowd was fully stimulated. The set featured highlights from throughout their career, including the now classic “No One Knows,” mid-career slow jam “Make It Wit Chu,” and new album standout “Feet Don’t Fail Me.”
SATURDAY
Saturday’s lineup felt the most cohesive, with a strong folk rock vein running throughout the day’s shows. As the sun began to set, hometown heroes Gin Blossoms led an enjoyable singalong to their ’90s hits. Lord Huron cranked up the energy with some of their more upbeat tracks as well as their floating new single “Wait By the River.”
Local Natives may well have had the sole grand slam of the weekend with their truly outstanding performance. Their heavy percussion rhythms alongside the constant harmonizing of three vocalists demonstrated their technical proficiency, and their passion was apparent throughout. The altered version of soothing newer song “Dark Days” was in beautiful juxtaposition to the raucous drum breakdowns and crowd surfing that shone on closer “Sun Hands.”
Even The Head & the Heart gave Local Natives’ show a shout-out in the middle of their set that was capped off by a cover of Crowded House’s “Don’t Dream It’s Over” and their own heartfelt hits “Down in the Valley” and “Rivers and Roads” (these felt especially appropriate being played in the Phoenix Valley and on a stage situated between a river and road).
The Decemberists were as quirky as ever with their baroque pop sound veering into both acoustic and electronic portions of their catalog. It was their performance of “Ben Franklin’s Song” (a song cut from Hamilton with lyrics penned by their friend Lin Manuel-Miranda) that had the audience laughing and singing the hardest, thanks to its catchy and vulgar chorus of “Do you know who the fuck I am?”
The Avett Brothers proved why they were given the festival’s longest set by keeping the Innings fans engaged the entire time. Hits such as “True Sadness” and “Ain’t No Man” were given extended jams beyond their originals. The band closed out the night with an encore featuring the oddball cover choice of George Michael’s “Faith” and their own emotional “No Hard Feelings.”
SUNDAY
Sunday’s lineup was the cleanup hitter, making sure that the weekend was finished in fine fashion. Counting Crows and Dispatch, two long-running bands, proved that they still know how to put on quality shows. Counting Crows had plenty of backup from the crowd for “Hanging Around” and “Mr. Jones.”
Dispatch had people in Right Field swaying to their feel good tunes, but eventually the crowd started to drift towards Home Plate. If they were lucky they swung by Left Field for Jake Bugg, who put on a strong one-man show. It can be hard to carry a crowd completely solo, but Bugg managed easily, thanks to his affable personality and rock tinged vocals.
Closer Chris Stapleton drew what was likely the biggest crowd of the weekend. It was no surprise given the star’s appeal, crossing from the country world to the rock world and beyond. Stapleton displayed his guitar and vocal prowess on foot-stompers such as “Second One to Know” and “Nobody to Blame” as well as on powerful ballads “Broken Halos” and “Fire Away.” After he closed the night with “Tennessee Whiskey” in the cool Arizona breeze, the Innings fans called it a ball game.
On top of a weekend filled with great music, Innings Festival went above and beyond to create a unique experience, especially given the baseball theme. Fans in the crowd were sporting their favorite team’s gear while discussing games they had caught and their hopes for the upcoming season. An onsite batting cage seemed to have a lively line at all times.
MLB star Jake Peavy was even on hand Sunday to coach people on their fastball. People were joining the fun from all angles, with J. Roddy Walston and the Business hopping on stage and performing exceptionally as guest bartenders during the “Bar Brawl” cocktail-making contest.
With such a strong production and a very well-curated lineup it is safe to say that Innings Festival should be back to swing for the fences next year.
