Alvvays October 21, 2017 at the Valley Bar, Phoenix AZ [Touring for their Antisocialites album]
I almost didn’t go to this show. I prepared for it well, asking months in advance for the night off from my part time job... but I either forgot to purchase a ticket before it sold out or bought one and misplaced it--either way, a terrible predicament to be in when 1) You love the band, 2) You love the band’s first album and 3) You love the band’s current album. Sophomore albums, when they achieve equal or greater status than the former are rare and far between, but for me, Alvvays accomplished that with ‘Antisocialites.’ I really fell hard when I first heard “In Undertow.” After hearing the chorus... There was no turning back--pun intended.
So how was I able to get a ticket to Alvvays sold out show at Valley Bar? Thanks to my Canadian concert going buddy, Andrew! A Day before the show, he reached out and asked if I still needed a ticket as he had not 1 but 2 tickets to release. I was just getting comfy with the fact that I won’t be going taking small solace in facts like it being a packed like sardines sold out show at Valley Bar--that I’d already seen them... wait what, I can go, yay, packed like sardines is alright by me!
After a lovely opening from fellow Canadian acts, Nap Eyes, it was time for Alvvays. They started with “Saved by a Waif,” and then played the song I was waiting for: “In Undertow.” I was in utter delight!
There are song lyrics that lift higher at times or during performances, that hit me hard and one of them was from “Not My Baby.” In the song, Molly croons:
“And it’s true I’ve been checking out lately...I don’t care/Because I’m really not there/I’m really not there.”
...which reminded me of a poem I wrote in high school called and about ‘Teen Angst’... in which I wrote:
“I don’t care... care about what they wear, what they share, and oh! who’ve they’ve got next in line. They’re blaming me now, asking: “Why don’t I care?” Sitting there, I can’t look them in the eye, but honestly I can say: “I really don't know.”
Another song that hit me even harder was “Forget about life." It feels forlorn but yet camaraderie abounds in it for a shoot the breeze none special special moment one can have with a friend... a moment that you only notice as special afterwards.
They played so many favorites from the... ”Atop A Cake,” “Party Police,” “Ones who love you,” and “Archie, Marry me,” a song Molly prefaced was dedicated to all the tiny people in the crowd who can’t see the stage, saying they can rise up to great levels--or something to that effect. As a short person myself, I smiled and genuinely loved this moment... but I could see as I had front row views though I sympathized with my fellow short folk.
“Dreams Tonite,” following “Marry Me, Archie” was like watching a double feature of the films ‘Before Sunrise’ and ‘Before Sunset.’
Also, I made note of another great bus song... the other being Jay Som’s... just a note I made while the band played Antisocialite’s second officially released song. One thing’s for sure, songs about Bus’s are trending favorably this year in the Indie music scene... as there’s still time before 2017 runs out, Indie bands write a song about a Bus and you, too, may hit it big... ha. Bad joke or music trend truth?
One downside to the show was this annoying fan that kept on calling out I love you Alvvays, I love this band... I’ll Alvvays love you. It started to get old and then he went too far and yelled “Have my Babies!” Hey, persistently poor concert going fellow, they have a song title answer for that: “Not My Baby.” I also noted a sole security guard flanks right in front between the 21 and under 21′s which was strange but post show found out that recently a fan ran up on stage and attempted to kiss Molly while she performed “Party Police,” maybe he thought her lyrics “you could just stay hear with me...” were meant for him, but what he did was totally uncalled for and disruptive. Though Molly is a tough cookie, still, behavior like that is never appropriate. Though our Phoenix crowd annoyer kept it to words, it was uncalled for behavior. We all love the band and their music. just being in the room is enough proof of that. Also, asking a band to play a song that they already played 6 minutes ago is way lame as guitarist Alec O’Hanley stated matter of fact with a hint of heat in his delivery.
Despite this, the band came out for a single song encore to give us one last taste of their music.
The last time Alvvays played here, it was a Pub Rock, and what I remember most was Molly’s quips, her positivity--there was a local opener that was hard on themselves on stage and I remember her saying to not be so hard on themselves and that they did a good job in her eyes. I was hoping for more banter like that, more relaxed, but her quips and reponses were the best they could be. I loved when she chatted asking if we have fall here or was it all a lie, we yelled back lie.
I hope the rest of their tour is free from bad concert going behavior and that they roll around these parts again soon.
Special Note: Shout out to my concert going buddy’s Robden and Laura for grabbing and gifting me the setlist even though I know they would love to add it to their own collections. I appreciate that you gave it to me, very very, much!
To listen to an abbreviated setlist performed at the Valley bar, go here: https://open.spotify.com/user/irisa27/playlist/1vw0xAPW552dvgQUWFdp7x