“It was a cold wet winter night in mid-December” might sound like a seasonal holiday carol where images of horse-drawn sleighs drizzle into one’s mind. But a music festival in Arizona? Can that be right?
ZONA Music Festival, a shrewdly conceived and very needed indie rock throwdown in downtown Phoenix’ Margaret Hance Park was exactly that of the soaked variety on its first day December 3rd. The wettest day of 2022 just had to ring its nasty intentions on a first-time festival.
From patrons to musicians, everyone was figuring out different ways to stay dry. “I had to put a condom over my microphone, so I wouldn’t get electrocuted,” said Alex Scally of Baltimore dream pop duo Beach House three songs into their headlining set Friday. And while the rain certainly made Phoenix feel like Portlandia for a day, it also contributed to a sense of spirit and camaraderie from artists and attendees alike, helping to make the inaugural ZONA Music Festival a keeper.
“Ponchos” for Arizonians typically resonates with that of a locally known Mexican restaurant, but there were plenty of waterproof un-fashion statements made, blocking many of their mission to show to flaunt that new band tee to break out for Game Day. Fortunately, Sunday, was only overcast, but the mud lingered, and it made for a real-life Frogger game, jumping from dry spot to dry spot by the “Nicks” mainstage.
Inaugural festivals aren’t such a novel concept anymore these days as anyone with a few good connections and some backed investors and sponsors can launch a three-day hoedown. Does the world really need more festivals with The Killers, Head and the Heart, and The Lumineers on board? No, but ZONA put on by Psyko Steve Presents in conjunction with the City of Phoenix filled a void in the Phoenix festival circuit that has been sorely lacking in guitar-centric rock and roll – namely of the “indie” variety. It takes balls to book headliners that would be playing no later than 5:00 on most bigger festivals, yet that risk paid off for fans that were there to listen vs. party.
Speaking of a party; downtown Phoenix Festival M3F (formerly McDowell Mountain) has steered clear of its previous rock, indie jam, and roots lineup for the way of EDM, DJs, and VIP sections everywhere; making ZONA and its “back to rock “approach a much-needed addition to the scene,
Psyko Steve Presents led by Steve Chilton, steered this vision into a welcoming reality. The lineup was announced in August with Beach House, Portugal the Man, Japanese Breakfast, Bleachers, and a generous amount of overly talented and unfairly undiscovered local acts performing near the vibrant Roosevelt Row at Hance Park; the response immediately was overwhelmingly positive.
Chilton, also the owner of Phoenix venue Rebel Lounge, recently led a standup effort as a founding board member and Vice President of the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), successfully lobbying Congress to pass the Save Our Stages Act during the pandemic. Thank this guy the next time you go to a venue that’s not owned by shareholders.
“There’s a lot of art to putting a lineup together,” Chilton said recently to Phoenix New Times. “It’s a hard balance to make it diverse enough to be interesting, but coherent enough to make sense. … How can we push boundaries enough to make it interesting but still make sure it’s a pleasurable experience and not a hodge-podge of a lot of different bands? It’s very curated, and if you like a lot of the bands on it, you’re probably going to like a lot of the other bands on it.”
And this strategy played off as the mix of acts covered all facets of rock without diving into pop, dance, or hip-hop, while also championing the local scene. And legends of the Grand Canyon state were honored with stages being named after them: Stevie Nicks, Linda Ronstadt, Charles Mingus, and Eddy Detroit. For those not familiar with the latter’s name, it coined the local DIY stage, one that revelated in the late indie pioneer’s spirit.
The cancellations of Tegan and Sara, Kevin Morby/Waxahatchee might not have rattled many a big three three-day festival, and we would be lying to say they weren’t missed, which speaks volumes about the appreciative audience. The average age of ZONA appeared 35 to fortyish with many even older- not bad for a break from the bros at nearby ASU. One can assume the majority of the crowd knew that The Fall, Television, and Rancid arent just autumn, tube and stank: yet another win for ZONA.
And while there were many musical winners, there were some performances that just stood out as either fun to watch, good on the ears, or just being at the right time at the right place. Here they are….
Playboy Manbaby
It’s shocking that this Phoenix band hasn’t been on the national radar yet till they did some national videos on Tik Tok and got some recognition. with their daily life quips. Featuring enigmatic frontman Robbie Pfeffer, who throws down hard in the realm of Milo Auckerman meets Mike Patton, there is a throwback punk aesthetic here. Explosive stage antics and a saxophone and trumpet gave the band regional feel mixing shades of ska, punk, and all-around no-rules rock; Playboy Manbaby makes any festival better. They also treated the fans to the edgy “Falafel Pantyhose,”- a song from their archives.
Beach House
Performing last on a rainy day, the Baltimore duo brought their shadowy stage presence and echoey vocals to the Nicks stage. While a Beach House show won’t provide too many musical surprises, it’s the comforting ebb and flow of their songbook that makes their listeners dedicated and valued. They also knew that those who stuck it out deserved some praise.
“It’s been an awesome day. You’re super troupers,” lead singer Victoria Legrand said. “We’re going to give you everything we’ve got.”
Opening with the title track off their 2022 album Once Twice Melody, Legrand and Scally, augmented by drummer James Barone journeyed through their songbook that is at the heart of many a vinyl library. And while Beach House isn’t your typical festival 9 PM headliner; they set the mood for a rainy night with charming grace.
Portugal. The Man
Don’t write off this Portland from Alaska band because of that hit song. Yeah you know it and it’s better than most pop songs out there, but this ten-piece can now call its own shots. Eleven musicians on stage created an epic soundscape of song and flow that radiated with an orchestra prog flair that at times ruminated like Mars Volta and other instances delighted with a Hail to Thief era Radioheadesque eclectic presentation.
Opening with “AKA M80 The Wolf,” off their debut album Waiter: “You Vultures!”, frontman John Gourley and his wife Zoe Manville helped close the two days with their dual vocals, soon playing “Marching With 6” for the first time since 2010. “Atomic” featured teases of The Stones’ “Gimme Shelter,” while All Your Light (Times Like These)” morphed into “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” by the Beatles. Portugal. With the diverse stage presentation of gender, colors, and even disabilities (wheel-chaired guitarist Eric Howk remains rock’s biggest badass), Portugal. The Man truly is who they said they are- a true and trusted festival headliner.
Lucius
It couldn’t have been my coincidence that the heavenly vocal duo Lucius (Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig) were booked for the Ronstadt stage. The former singers of “Great Gig in the Sky,” on Roger Waters’ 2017 Us and Them World Tour, hit the stage with danceable numbers off their new album Second Nature, including the title track and Next To Normal – the second featuring Wolfe and Lessig on keytars, making for a very Princey new wave synth rock splash.
The hour-long set gave fans plenty of quality over quantity, where the band was locked in with their dynamic songs and vocals. The cover of Dave Davies’ penned Kinks song “Strangers” – echoed ironically about the almost identical presence of the two frontwomen – “we are not two we are one.”
The Front Bottoms
Highly underrated Front Bottoms evoke the spirit of They Might Be Giants, Mountain Goats, Against Me, and The Pogues with a ferocious brevity that might be the most eclectic folk punk going. Brian Sella and Mathew Uychich deliver a hard-charging lyrically led rock that bends on emo moodiness with some brave 80s/early 90s college rock quirkiness.
Perfect for a midday Sunday set, the band brought local artist gone national Sydney Sprague to come out and sing “Cough it Out,” bringing an enthusiastic response from the mud field.
Other ZONA Standouts
Destroy Boys – Kept it punk-fueled with a spirited cover of Nirvana’s “Drain You” along with an animated flair that evoked early Sleater-Kinney.
The Regrettes – The female rockers asked the crowd “are you having the best time of your fucking life,” and frontwoman Lydia Night split the crowd down the middle and then merged them in a dramatic melt of dance and unity.
Miniature Tigers– The native Arizona band gave a heavy rock vibe with big hooks, and loud guitars while reflecting on their first-ever show many years prior at the seminal indie venue Modified Arts.
Japanese Breakfast- A very polished stage presence and eye-pleasing colors and stage presentation allowed for the Michelle Zauner-led band to blend to appease the masses with keyboard, violin, and saxophone blends.
Chicano Batman – A shape-shifting set where frontman Eduardo Arenas worked the stage like an MC yet laid down subtle ethnic grooves on guitar and handed them off to partner Carlos Arévalo. Following the success of 2017’s Freedom Is Free, the LA Band rallies off the worldly success of Khruangbin, but without all the glam: surely fitting the eclectic vibes of ZONA.
Photos by Lisa Jacobs Handler
